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AMSTERDAM, NY—Congressman Paul D. Tonko announced a slate of federal grants today awarded to Capital Region counties and court systems to combat opioid and other substance use disorders totaling $7,892,088. These awards are being administered by the Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of Justice Programs.

“Each year, we lose tens of thousands of Americans to the devastating disease of addiction,” Congressman Tonko said. “We have a duty to our family, friends, neighbors and every individual suffering to act to ensure they have the support and care they need. I am proud to announce these deserving awards that will save lives and help restore hope to countless across our Capital Region and state. I will not stop fighting in Congress to improve access to vital treatment and make sure that every American struggling with substance use disorder has the resources to find and follow the path to recovery.”

• $898,062 is being awarded to the County of Albany to expand access to treatment and recovery support services to those struggling with substance use disorders.
• $4,017,566 is being awarded to New York State Unified Court System to improve services to family drug courts and enhance access to substance use disorder (SUD) treatment and recovery service.
• $1,080,865 is being awarded to New York State Unified Court System to reduce opioid, stimulant, and substance abuse by enhancing operations of adult drug courts and veterans treatment courts.
• $1,895,595 is being awarded to New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services to implement substance abuse treatment programs in state and local correctional and detention facilities and provide community-based services to help youth avoid involvement in delinquency.

Congressman Tonko has a long and substantial record in Congress of working to address the nation’s growing opioid epidemic and expanding access to treatment for the millions of Americans living with Substance Use Disorder (SUD). Last year, he introduced H.R.2482, the Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment (MAT) Act that would end an outdated redundancy in federal law that restricts health providers from prescribing buprenorphine, a proven treatment that has helped countless Americans suffering with a substance use disorder.

Most recently, the House advanced his addiction treatment bill H.R.1329, the Medicaid Reentry Act in its COVID-19 rescue plan, legislation Congressman Tonko authored that allows states to activate Medicaid coverage for individuals transitioning out of incarceration 30 days prior to release.

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