Congress Responds to NCHRF’s Request with First Ever Federal Funding Solely Dedicated to Harm Reduction
The National Campaign for Harm Reduction Funding is excited to announce that as an initial response to our coalition’s specific request for a new federal funding stream solely dedicated to Harm Reduction, Congress under the Biden/Harris administration will be providing, “$30,000,000 in community-based funding for local substance use disorder services like syringe services programs and other harm reduction interventions,” through the American Rescue Plan. This legislation marks the first time in history that Congress has appropriated a funding stream specifically for “harm reduction,” the phrase “harm reduction” has been used in an official ONDCP press release, and community organizations are explicitly eligible for SED federal funding.
According to the press release, these funds will be administered through the HHS Secretary and awarded to local governments, community-based nonprofits, and health organizations. The funds can be used for, 1) preventing and controlling the spread of infectious diseases and the consequences of such diseases for individuals with substance use disorder; 2) distributing opioid overdose reversal medication to individuals at risk of overdose; 3) educating and counseling individuals at risk for substance use disorders and overdose; and 4) encouraging at-risk individuals to "take steps to reduce the negative personal and public health impacts of substance use or misuse."
We have fought long and hard to shift drug policy away from criminal enforcement and towards public health and this legislation acts as an important milestone in this pursuit. This act will lay the legal groundwork for challenging the federal funding ban for syringe access programs, passing the CARE and MAT Acts, legalizing safe consumption, and pushing for reimbursement mechanisms with insurers. Further, this legislature will begin the long process of building trust between the harm reduction community and the federal government. With these funds, we can prove that we can manage federal funding, scale services accordingly, and meet the needs of our local communities.
We recognize that this act does have its shortfalls. $30M only begins to cover the intense funding needs of the current overdose crisis. In addition, because of its structure, advocacy may be required to ensure that funding reaches its intended recipients. However, we are grateful that this legislation will act as a small, but important, stepping stone to ultimately reach our $15 billion federal funding goal by 2024. We are proud to be sharing this victory with our harm reduction community. To read relevant sections of the American Rescue Plan, visit the legislation’s official page here.
