Press Releases

Today, U.S. Representative Brittany Pettersen (CO-07) released the following statement after President Trump signed into law her bipartisan bill, the Support for Patients and Communities Act. The legislation authorizes funding for critical prevention, treatment, and recovery substance use disorder (SUD) programs. 

Rep. Pettersen’s work on SUD programs is inspired by her mother, who struggled with a decades-long battle with addiction after being overprescribed opioids for a back injury. Rep. Pettersen has since fought to expand access to treatment to help people like her mother receive the care they need – including passing a bill that directed Colorado to apply for a Section 1115 Waiver to cover residential and inpatient treatment for individuals struggling with addiction. In the first year, this waiver increased access to substance use disorder treatment by 60%, with over 48,000 Coloradans able to access the care they needed. Colorado also saw a 35% decline in fentanyl-related deaths in this past year. 

“As the Trump administration continues to dismantle treatment and recovery services and take away health care from people struggling with addiction, protecting these programs is more important than ever,” said Pettersen. “In my fight to save my mom’s life, I saw how broken our system is, and I’ve been working every day to fix it. Colorado has led the way in expanding treatment and reducing fentanyl deaths, and this law helps ensure that progress continues nationwide — especially under an administration that has dismantled the progress we have made. I’ll always fight so every person struggling has access to the medical care they need to recover and rebuild their lives.”

Specifically, the Support for Patients and Communities Act will:

• Expand access to naloxone for first-responders and community members; 
• Provide substance use disorder (SUD) treatment for pregnant and postpartum women;
• Address SUD workforce shortages by expanding loan repayment programs and fellowship opportunities for healthcare providers; 
• Increase access to peer-led recovery support services; 
• Fund Comprehensive Opioid Recovery Centers; and 
• Promote the prevention of overdoses through prescription drug monitoring programs. 

The legislation is endorsed by over 160 vital substance use disorder treatment and recovery organizations, including Faces and Voices of Recovery, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), the National Association for Behavioral Healthcare, and Mental Health Colorado.