McDowell Introduces CURE Act to Improve Oversight of Opioid Grant Spending
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congressman Addison McDowell (NC-06) introduced the Clarity for Opioid-Use Reduction and Expenditures (CURE) Act, legislation to create additional accountability and transparency over federal opioid response programs.
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) reports that subrecipients of federal opioid grants, such as those under the State Opioid Response (SOR) and Tribal Opioid Response (TOR) programs, are not currently required to report how taxpayer dollars are spent. This lack of oversight has created a blind spot in how hundreds of millions of dollars intended to fight fentanyl and opioid abuse are actually being used.
“The lack of oversight on who receives taxpayer dollars, and how they’re used to respond to the opioid crisis, opens the door to waste, fraud, and abuse,” said Congressman McDowell. “Through the CURE Act, we’ll make sure these funds are actually reaching those on the front lines of the fentanyl and opioid epidemics, helping those they’re intended to.”
What the CURE Act Does:
- Amends the 21st Century Cures Act to require reporting by grant subrecipients.
- Directs HHS to create a standardized reporting system for opioid use disorder grant data.
- Requires states to report:
- How all funds were spent
- Who received the funds
- How many individuals were served
- Mandates regular reports to Congress to improve program oversight and restore public trust.
The CURE Act reinforces federal efforts to combat the opioid epidemic and crack down on waste, fraud, and abuse head-on. By closing concerning loopholes in grant tracking, we will ensure resources actually support treatment, prevention, and recovery efforts in communities hardest hit by this crisis.
Read the full bill text here.