President Trump Signs Davids’ Bipartisan Bill Helping People in Recovery Get Back to Work

Today, Representative Sharice Davids announced that President Donald Trump signed her bipartisan bill into law, aimed at addressing the impact of substance use on America’s workforce. The legislation would reauthorize the Comprehensive Addiction Recovery through Effective Employment and Reentry (CAREER) Act, which supports individuals recovering from substance use disorder, ensuring they can reenter the workforce and maintain gainful employment.

“Addiction has torn through families across Kansas, and those in recovery deserve a fair shot at rebuilding their lives,” said Davids. “I want to thank President Trump for signing this bipartisan bill — together, we’re giving people the support they need to get back to work, stay healthy, and live independently. This is about second chances and restoring stability for families, and I’m proud to champion it.”

The CAREER Act assists individuals recovering from substance use disorders by helping them access stable, transitional housing and offering essential support to reenter the workforce and sustain employment. This legislation strengthens two successful programs, including the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Treatment, Recovery, and Workforce Support Grant Program and the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Recovery Housing Program.

The bill, originally introduced alongside RepresentativeAndy Barr (R-KY-06) and Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY), was signed into law as part of the bipartisan Support for Patients and Communities Reauthorization (SUPPORT) Act.

To ensure a safer and healthier community, Davids has made it a priority to address the opioid and fentanyl epidemic head-on. She hosted multiple summits with law enforcement, health care workers, and education professionals on combating the fentanyl epidemic and has taken a number of legislative actions based on the specific needs of the Kansas Third District, including:

• Securing a nearly $16 million grant to help law enforcement seize illicit drugs like fentanyl, reduce violent crime associated with drug trafficking, and improve data collection.
• Voting to permanently place all fentanyl-related substances into a Schedule I class, labeling the drug as having a high potential for abuse and no currently accepted medical use.
• Joining a bipartisan group of lawmakers to request funding for new handheld mass spectrometry trace-level chemical detection devices at domestic ports.
• Urging the FDA to take up expert recommendations and make Narcan, a common naloxone nasal spray, available without a prescription — which they did earlier this year.
• Helping pass a bipartisan bill to create a public awareness campaign about synthetic opioids. This came after meeting with Libby Davis, a Johnson County resident whose son passed away after taking a counterfeit pill that was unknowingly laced with fentanyl.
• Pushing for expanded federal grant opportunities so law enforcement and Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) can easily acquire life-saving naloxone kits.
• Visiting the Port of Long Beach to see how the port uses state-of-the-art technologies to prevent harmful substances — like fentanyl — from entering the country illegally.