SENATE BILL: Help is On The Way Act (Passed)

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

SENATE BILL
To combat the opioid epidemic
Be it enacted in both Houses of Congress

Section 1; Title
1. This legislation may be cited as the "Help is On The Way Act."
Section 2; Comprehensive Government Response
1. $100 billion shall be appropriated over the next 10 years for the purposes of combatting the opioid epidemic.
2. The $100 billion, as $10 billion annual funding, shall be broken down annually as follows-
a) $4 billion shall be appropriated to fund regional, state, local and tribal government responses to the opioid epidemic.
b) $2.7 billion shall be appropriated to fund opioid epidemic responses in those cities or counties that are in the top 15% of cities or counties in Atlasia in terms of overdose deaths due to opioids as a proportion of the population.
c) $1.7 billion shall be appropriated for public health surveillance, research, and improved training for health professionals.
d) $1.1 billion shall be appropriated to fund public and nonprofit entities directly involved in combating and responding to the opioid epidemic, and in particular with the intention of supporting expanded and innovative service delivery of treatment, recovery, and harm reduction services.
i) The intention shall apply when said entities are directly involved in and have a realistic chance of delivering on the intended goals in this clause.
e) $500 million shall be appropriated to expand access to naloxone and to provide naloxone to first responders, public health departments, and the public to reduce opioid overdose deaths.
Section 3; Funding
1. This legislation shall be funded from the revenue raised by the Wealth Tax Act.
Section 4; Implementation
1. This legislation shall take effect immediately upon its passage into law.

Sponsor: Devout Centrist
Senate Designation: SB19:30

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

The sponsor has 24 hours to commence an advocacy and other members have a subsequent 48 hours for responses.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

In clause b, should it be "cities or counties" in both places? The second reference says "cities in counties"?

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

I just made the alteration as such.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

One more thing I noticed, who is administering clause i and making that determination? SoIA? some agencies within the Department of Internal Affairs? Some other agency?

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

One more thing I noticed, who is administering clause i and making that determination? SoIA? some agencies within the Department of Internal Affairs? Some other agency?

The wording is pretty loose; I can simply put the appropriations under the domain of HHS

Are you planning to offer an amendment to that effect?

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

One more thing I noticed, who is administering clause i and making that determination? SoIA? some agencies within the Department of Internal Affairs? Some other agency?

The wording is pretty loose; I can simply put the appropriations under the domain of HHS

Are you planning to offer an amendment to that effect?

Devout?

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Senators have 24 hours to object.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

The amendment is adopted.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

So any further issues to be addressed?

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Wealth Tax Act doesn’t appear to actually exist.

It’s coming

When is it coming?

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Wealth Tax Act doesn’t appear to actually exist.

It’s coming

When is it coming?

By the end of the week

So Friday? Saturday?

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Okay so we know that the Wealth Tax covers this, what is the next steps here and what has to happen on that bill for the sake of this if anything?

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

I support the general aim of this bill in its goal to combat the opioid epidemic.

However, I worry that a ten-year plan may not be the wisest course of action when we are dealing with predetermined amounts of yearly funding. In other words, if we were to find that the $10B utilized was either too little or too great, as the case may be, there should be a section in this bill allowing for an expansion or reduction in funding. Similarly, we should allow for the reallocation of funds after each year has passed (If we find that more needs to be spent on research, for instance).

Could I ask the sponsor to please speak to this point?

I would also be interested in a response to this question.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

I would be fine with annual reevaluation but I cannot speak for Pyro.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

With no objections having been entered, the amendment is adopted.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

A Final vote is now open on this legislation, Senators please vote Aye, Nay or Abstain.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

AYE


This ends in about two hours.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Vote on Final Passage of the Help is on the Way Act:

Aye (6): Devout Centrist, Ontario Progressive, NC Yankee, Pyro, Tack50 and TPH,
Nay (0):
Abstain (0):

Didn't Vote (0):

This bill is passed and is sent to the VP.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

SENATE BILL
To combat the opioid epidemic
Be it enacted in both Houses of Congress

Section 1; Title
1. This legislation may be cited as the "Help is On The Way Act."
Section 2; Comprehensive Government Response
1. $100 billion shall be appropriated over the next 10 years for the purposes of combatting the opioid epidemic.
2. The $100 billion, as $10 billion annual funding, shall be broken down annually as follows-
a) $4 billion shall be appropriated to fund regional, state, local and tribal government responses to the opioid epidemic.
b) $2.7 billion shall be appropriated to fund opioid epidemic responses in those cities or counties that are in the top 15% of cities or counties in Atlasia in terms of overdose deaths due to opioids as a proportion of the population.
c) $1.7 billion shall be appropriated for public health surveillance, research, and improved training for health professionals.
d) $1.1 billion shall be appropriated to fund public and nonprofit entities directly involved in combating and responding to the opioid epidemic, and in particular with the intention of supporting expanded and innovative service delivery of treatment, recovery, and harm reduction services.
i) The intention shall apply when said entities are directly involved in and have a realistic chance of delivering on the intended goals in this clause.
e) $500 million shall be appropriated to expand access to naloxone and to provide naloxone to first responders, public health departments, and the public to reduce opioid overdose deaths.
Section 3; Funding
1. This legislation shall be funded from the revenue raised by the Wealth Tax Act.
2. Funding shall be reevaluated annually and appropriated depending on the severity and duration of the epidemic
a. The epidemic shall be deemed contained when deaths due to drug overdose drop below 4.5 per 100,000 nationally.
Section 4; Implementation
1. This legislation shall take effect immediately upon its passage into law.

People's Regional Senate
Passed 6-0 in the Atlasian Senate Assembled,