HR 9759: Turn the Tide Act

HR 9759 in plain English: The Turn the Tide Act would appropriate billions of dollars across federal programs to address the opioid and drug crisis, funding treatment, prevention, public health, housing, law enforcement, and community support efforts from fiscal years 2027 through 2031 or 2036. The bill covers a wide range of programs, including residential treatment, mental health services, drug courts, surveillance, and youth prevention. The largest single appropriation is $5.5 billion per year for community grants.

Stated purpose

This bill provides dedicated funding for programs and activities originally created under the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act, a 2018 law aimed at addressing the opioid and substance use disorder crisis. It appropriates money for treatment, prevention, first responder training, and recovery support programs for fiscal years 2027 through 2030.

Key points

• Provides $5.5 billion per year for fiscal years 2027–2031 for community-based substance use and opioid response grants
• Appropriates $3 billion per year for fiscal years 2027–2031, and $2.5 billion per year for 2032–2036, for additional opioid-related funding
• Funds residential treatment ($50 million/year), mental and behavioral health services ($75 million/year), and drug court programs ($125 million/year) from 2027–2030
• Allocates $516 million per year (2027–2030) for overdose prevention and $112 million per year for child trauma-related programs
• Sets aside $50 million per year for Indian Tribes or Tribal organizations and guarantees each state at least $4 million in grants

Arguments supporters make

• The opioid and overdose crisis is ongoing, and letting funding for proven treatment and prevention programs lapse would leave communities without resources they depend on.
• Directing money to first responder training, residential treatment, and care coordination addresses multiple points in the crisis at once, from emergency response to long-term recovery.
• Programs for pregnant and postpartum women protect both mothers and newborns from the harms of untreated addiction, making early investment cost-effective.

Arguments opponents make

• The bill appropriates funds directly without going through the normal annual budget process, bypassing the oversight that Congress uses to evaluate whether programs are actually working before renewing them.
• Federal spending on substance use programs has grown significantly in recent years, and critics may argue there is insufficient evidence that these specific programs produce results proportional to their cost.
• Funding drawn from general Treasury reserves adds to federal deficits without an identified offset, shifting costs to future taxpayers.

Tradeoffs

Continuing these programs ensures treatment and prevention services remain available, but appropriating funds outside the normal budgeting process trades away a regular opportunity to assess program effectiveness and weigh competing spending priorities.

Current status in Congress: In committee.

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