Bill would improve treatment programs for pregnant and postpartum women
As Chair of the Steering and Outreach Committee, Klobuchar today led a meeting with stakeholders representing law enforcement, health care, and community outreach to discuss solutions to combat drug abuse
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar today introduced a bipartisan bill to improve treatment for pregnant women and moms with substance abuse disorders. The Improving Treatment for Pregnant and Postpartum Women Act, which Klobuchar introduced with Senators Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), would reauthorize residential treatment programs for pregnant and postpartum women supported by the federal Center for Substance Abuse Treatment. The bill would also authorize a pilot program for state substance abuse agencies that allows funds to be used for family-based services for pregnant and postpartum women in non-residential settings.
“Drug abuse is claiming lives and tearing families apart in Minnesota and across the country, with far too many pregnant women and new mothers suffering from this devastating epidemic,” said Klobuchar. “This bipartisan effort will help reverse this deadly trend by helping to give women and mothers the tools they need to get clean and start a new beginning for their families.”
Klobuchar has long led local and national efforts to curb drug abuse and help people overcome addiction. As Chair of the Steering and Outreach Committee, Klobuchar today led a meeting with stakeholders representing law enforcement, health care, and community outreach to discuss solutions to combat drug abuse. Earlier this year, Klobuchar reintroduced the bipartisan Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, which would improve prevention and treatment efforts, ensure law enforcement has greater access to the necessary tools to fight drug abuse, and better support individuals in recovery. The bill includes Klobuchar’s provision to combat drug abuse by enhancing prescription drug monitoring programs.
In September 2014, the DEA implemented Klobuchar’s bipartisan Secure and Responsible Drug Disposal Act. Under the legislation, consumers are being provided with more safe and responsible ways to dispose of unused prescription medications and controlled substances. In August, Klobuchar delivered a keynote address at Minnesota’s Opioid Summit to over 1,000 stakeholders from the law enforcement, health care, medical, and legal communities, along with recovering addicts and families from across Minnesota. As Hennepin County Attorney, Klobuchar appointed a special team of prosecutors to handle drug cases, which accounted for one-third of her office’s total caseload.
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