Sens. Cornyn and Hassan Introduce HEAL Act to Expand Access to Opioid Overdose Reversal Drugs
This bill is currently in the early stages of the legislative process after being sent to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions for review. It is actively moving through the system, but no future hearings or votes have been scheduled yet. There is no companion bill currently linked to this legislation.
The bill has support from both parties and addresses a non-controversial update to help fight the drug crisis. While it is a common-sense fix, many bills still struggle to find time for a final vote.
Scores run from -100 (strongly harmful) to +100 (strongly beneficial) for each group, combining impact, certainty, scope, and duration ratings of 1-5. How impact scoring works
Tribal communities have been hit especially hard by the opioid epidemic. This bill specifically updates the Tribal Opioid Response Grants so that tribes can use federal funding for any FDA-approved overdose reversal drug, not just naloxone. This gives tribal health programs more flexibility to choose the best available treatment for their communities.
“the grant program for State and Tribal response to opioid use disorders under section 1003 of the 21st Century Cures Act (42 U.S.C. 290ee-3a) (commonly referred to as ``State Opioid Response Grants'' and ``Tribal Opioid Response Grants'')”
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Introduced in Senate
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
The HEAL Act, introduced to expand access to new opioid overdose reversal agents, faces challenges as HHS and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) propose budget cuts to naloxone distribution and training programs despite the ongoing fentanyl crisis.
A study in JAMA Network Open highlights that while most Medicaid plans cover naloxone, barriers remain for newer reversal agents. The HEAL Act aims to address these gaps by ensuring federal grants cover all FDA-approved overdose reversal medications.
The U.S. Senate unanimously passed the HEAL Act on September 18, 2025. The legislation requires HHS to update grant programs to include any FDA-approved opioid overdose reversal agent, providing first responders with more tools to combat synthetic opioids like fentanyl.
No votes recorded for this bill yet.
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
Halting the Epidemic of Addiction and Loss Act of 2025
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