A Republican bill with no cosponsors
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Overdose RADAR Act aims to combat the fentanyl crisis through various legislative actions. It authorizes grants for improved data and surveillance regarding opioid-related overdoses. The bill seeks to reform the Office of National Drug Control Policy, suggesting the Director become a Cabinet-level position. It also establishes a 3-year wastewater pilot program to detect illicit substances like fentanyl or xylazine. Additionally, the act provides for grants to include drugs and devices for emergency treatment in elementary and secondary schools. Finally, it updates the Controlled Substances Act to include fentanyl test strips.
Yes· 3 of 9
- Scored +8
Does this do more about addiction and overdose deaths?
The bill funds wastewater analysis to detect drugs, improves overdose data linkage, and provides emergency treatment capabilities in schools.
- Scored +5
Would children be better off under this?
The bill provides for emergency treatment of opioid overdoses within elementary and secondary schools.
- Scored +5
Would students be better off under this?
The bill enhances safety in schools by funding emergency overdose treatment and trained personnel.
The opposite
- Scored -2
Does this reduce what the federal government spends?
The bill changes the status of certain reprogramming requests to 'deemed denied,' which restricts the movement of existing funds.
- Scored -1
Does this leave more decisions to the states?
The bill imposes new federal reporting requirements and guidance for how states record overdose deaths.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Improved Data Collection: The Secretary may award grants to improve surveillance and data linkage regarding fatal and nonfatal opioid-related overdoses (Section 2).
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Enhanced Detection via Wastewater: A 3-year pilot program will award grants to municipal wastewater treatment facilities to determine the prevalence of substances like fentanyl or xylazine in communities (Section 5).
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Emergency Treatment in Schools: Eligible entities can receive grants to provide and administer drugs and devices for the emergency treatment of known or suspected opioid overdoses in elementary and secondary schools (Section 7).
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Legal Protections for School Personnel: The bill requires State attorneys general to certify that civil liability protection laws provide adequate protection for trained personnel administering emergency treatment in schools (Section 7).
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Access to Testing Tools: The bill adds fentanyl test strips to the list of items under the Controlled Substances Act (Section 8).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Changes to Death Reporting: The Office of National Drug Control Policy is directed to issue guidance that States and localities record overdose deaths as homicides if there is evidence the overdose was not self-induced or intentional (Section 3).
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Restrictions on Rule Approvals: Under the Congressional Review Act provision, if the Office of National Drug Control Policy does not certify a final rule by a National Drug Control Program participant, the rule is deemed submitted under specific federal code (Section 3).
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Denial of Reprogramming Requests: The bill changes the status of certain reprogramming and transfer requests from being "deemed approved" to "deemed denied" (Section 3).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Healthcare
- Does this do more about addiction and overdose deaths? — The bill funds wastewater analysis to detect drugs, improves overdose data linkage, and provides emergency treatment capabilities in schools. Does this make health care easier to get in general? — The act provides grants for emergency treatment of opioid overdoses in schools and enhances surveillance of drug prevalence. Does this make mental health care easier to get? — The bill addresses opioid misuse and use disorders through enhanced data surveillance and grants.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would children be better off under this? — The bill provides for emergency treatment of opioid overdoses within elementary and secondary schools. Would students be better off under this? — The bill enhances safety in schools by funding emergency overdose treatment and trained personnel. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — The bill addresses a public health crisis that disproportionately affects vulnerable populations.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this reduce what the federal government spends? — The bill changes the status of certain reprogramming requests to 'deemed denied,' which restricts the movement of existing funds.
- Education And Technology
- Does this make it easier to use public money at a school other than the local one? — The bill provides resources for emergency medical response within the school environment.
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Does this improve buses, trains and other public transport? — The bill involves municipal wastewater treatment facilities in a drug detection pilot program.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this leave more decisions to the states? — The bill imposes new federal reporting requirements and guidance for how states record overdose deaths.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Is this likely to lift people out of poverty? — By addressing the fentanyl crisis, the bill targets a major driver of community instability.
- 2/24/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- Introduced in Senate
2 bills Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.