On May 27, The Pew Charitable Trusts thanked Representatives Frank Pallone Jr. (D-NJ), chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives’ Energy and Commerce Committee, and Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), the committee’s ranking member, for their leadership in passing the Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment (MAT) Act.
The MAT Act will eliminate outdated restrictions on buprenorphine, a medication highly effective in opioid use disorder treatment, and is key to addressing the opioid overdose crisis exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill is now part of the Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act and awaits a full floor vote in the House.