On November 30, the House of Representatives passed the bipartisan amended version of H.R. 34, the 21st Century Cures Act. This wide-ranging healthcare bill includes $1 billion in guaranteed funding for grants to states to develop, improve, and expand effective prescription drug and substance abuse programs, including education and training, prevention, prescription drug monitoring, and treatment.

The bill also authorizes increased funding for the National Cancer Institute’s Cancer Moonshot, advancements in precision medicine, support for hospital development, and extensive improvement of federal mental health programs. Congressman Bill Keating was also a cosponsor of the original version of the 21st Century Cures Act, which passed the House in July 2015.

“In addition to the programs signed into law under the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act this summer, this bill represents another significant investment in the fight against heroin and prescription drug abuse and an effort to ensure that both states and providers have access to much-needed resources," said Congressman Bill Keating in a press release.

“While not perfect, this bill will benefit numerous communities within southeastern Massachusetts. In addition to increasing transparency for experimental drug access programs, compassionate use policies, and clinical trials enrollment criteria for rare disease treatment, it will solidify ongoing developments of hospital outpatient clinics and pave the way for innovative research programs to take hold at [National Institutes of Health]. Moving forward, I will continue working to ensure that Congress fulfills its obligation to the people to fund, implement, and uphold the progress made through passage of this bill,” said Keating.

The bill will not be instated as law until it passes both Senate approval and acquires the president's signature.