House Passes Noem Bill to Protect Families Challenged by Drug Abuse
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representative Kristi Noem today led the House in passing H.R.2857, the Supporting Families in Substance Abuse Treatment Act, which aims to strengthen a state or tribe’s ability to keep families together through the parent’s drug addiction treatment.
Earlier this month, South Dakota released new data showing accidental drug overdose deaths in the state climbed 59 percent between 2013 and 2016. Additionally, between 2005 and 2015, both drug-related arrests and the violent crime rate nearly doubled in the state.
“Drug treatment programs that keep families together and children out of foster care have proven to produce better outcomes for both the parent and child,” said Noem. “Even so, government-induced barriers exist that make a family-focused approach difficult. I’m hopeful the Supporting Families in Substance Abuse Treatment Act will offer another evidence-based tool to those on the drug abuse epidemic’s front line, helping them strengthen families and change lives.”
Under H.R.2857, states and tribes would have the authority to grant federal foster care support payments to children while placed with a parent in a residential, family-based treatment facility.
In addition to H.R.2857, the House today passed H.R.2834, the Partnership Grants to Strengthen Families Affected by Parental Substance Abuse Act. Led by Reps. Noem and Danny Davis, this bipartisan legislation would also help keep families together by strengthening the Regional Partnership Grant program. This program provides funding to state and regional grantees seeking to provide evidence-based services to prevent child abuse and neglect related to substance abuse.
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