SUPPORT Act Reintroduced in the Senate
On June 18, 2025, U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), and John Hickenlooper (D-CO) reintroduced the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act. This bill would reauthorize prevention, treatment, and recovery programs for substance use disorders, many of which expired in 2023. Notably, the SUPPORT Act includes language from the MATE Improvement Act (S.946), which designates the AGD as an approved provider of the mandatory continuing education for providers of certain controlled substances. The U.S. House of Representatives passed the SUPPORT Act on June 4, 2025, by a vote of 366-57.
Impact on General Dentistry: The reintroduction of the SUPPORT Act in the Senate marks an important step in reauthorizing critical substance use disorder programs and recognizing the AGD's role in continuing education. The AGD has continued to advocate for the passage of the SUPPORT Act and remains committed to educating general dentists on opioid addiction, responsible prescribing practices, and alternative approaches to pain management.
Impact on General Dentistry: The reintroduction of the SUPPORT Act in the Senate marks an important step in reauthorizing critical substance use disorder programs and recognizing the AGD's role in continuing education. The AGD has continued to advocate for the passage of the SUPPORT Act and remains committed to educating general dentists on opioid addiction, responsible prescribing practices, and alternative approaches to pain management.