Advocates for Opioid Addiction Treatment Send Letter to Congress Opposing H.R.5629

May 4, 2026

Dear Chairman Griffith and Ranking Member DeGette:

The undersigned organizations representing the prevention, treatment and recovery communities write to thank the Subcommittee for its ongoing commitment to addressing the opioid misuse and overdose epidemic. We are, however, concerned about H.R. 5629, which would repeal the 2024 Final Opioid Treatment Program (OTP) Rules, and H.R. 5630, which would impose additional reporting requirements on Substance Use Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Services Block Grant grantees. We are writing to express our strong concern with moving these two proposals forward in the legislative process.

Given that the OTP Final Rules only took full effect in October 2024 and some states are still in the process of updating state laws and regulations, we believe it would be premature for Congress to consider legislative changes without first evaluating their impact. Early evidence suggests policy changes such as increased telehealth flexibilities made during the COVID-19 pandemic and codified in the Rules are increasing access to treatment and contributing to recent declines in overdose deaths. Accordingly, we respectfully recommend that Congress direct the appropriate agencies to study the implementation of the Rules, including their effects on treatment access and medication diversion, before pursuing any modifications to the regulations. Moreover, we believe this review would inform if additional reporting requirements for block grant recipients are needed and, if yes, ensure that relevant and meaningful metrics are collected for evaluation.

Thanks in part to bipartisan congressional action – including enactment of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act and the SUPPORT Act – recent data shows encouraging trends. Earlier this year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported the largest single-year decline in overdose deaths on record, a 25% decrease from the prior year. While 79,000 lives lost in 2024 is still far too high, it marks the first time overdose deaths have fallen below 100,000 since 2020. We are concerned that repealing the OTP regulations or implementing burdensome reporting requirements on states would reverse some of this hard- fought progress.

We appreciate the Committee’s leadership on this issue and stand ready to work collaboratively to further reduce opioid misuse and overdose deaths while preserving access to effective, evidence-based treatment.