Attorney General Becerra Urges Congress to Pass Critical Legislation to Combat the Opioid Epidemic

SACRAMENTO – California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, along with a bipartisan coalition of 39 state and territory Attorneys General, today urged Congress to combat the opioid epidemic by passing legislation: the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) 2.0 and the Comprehensive Addiction Reform, Education, and Safety (CARES) Act.

“The misuse and abuse of prescription opioids is taking innocent lives and harming our communities every single day,” said Attorney General Becerra. “We simply cannot arrest our way out of this epidemic. We must work with our communities and our federal and state partners to treat, prevent, and respond to this epidemic from all angles.”  

The CARA 2.0 Act continues to aid States by investing in evidence-based prevention, treatment, and recovery programs to help individuals and families. It also provides law enforcement with new tools to reverse overdoses and help communities respond to the heroin and opioid epidemics. In addition, the CARES Act helps states by holding opioid manufacturers accountable for their role in the opioid epidemic.

Joining Attorney General Becerra in sending today's letter are the Attorneys General of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, the Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia.

A copy of the letter is attached to the electronic version of this release at oag.ca.gov/news.