Press Releases

LOWELL, MA – Today, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03), a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Health Subcommittee and a member of the Bipartisan Working Group on Addiction, announced that the Medication Access and Training Expansion (MATE) Act, her bipartisan addiction legislation, cleared the House and Senate last week and was signed into law by President Joe Biden.

“Whether it's an empty seat at the dinner table, a friend who was lost too soon, or a neighbor we didn’t know was struggling until it was too late, the addiction crisis has impacted every single family here in Massachusetts and across our nation. We have to take serious steps to address the root causes of this epidemic, and that starts with removing the stigma,” said Congresswoman Trahan. “The MATE Act will ensure that every physician with the ability to prescribe highly addictive medications has the training they need to spot, treat, and prevent addiction so no one fighting this disease is told their doctor can’t help. This is a commonsense step in the right direction and getting this bipartisan legislation across the finish line is long overdue.”

First introduced by Trahan in 2019, the MATE Act will standardize substance use disorder training to ensure that all prescribers of addictive medications possess baseline knowledge in evidence-based addiction prevention and treatments. The legislation has broad bipartisan support, including key bipartisan co-leads Representatives David Trone (D-MD-06), Buddy Carter (R-GA-01), Annie Kuster (D-NH-02), and David P. McKinley (R-WV-01), and Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Susan Collins (R-ME). Once law, the MATE Act will:

• Create a one-time, non-repetitive requirement for all DEA controlled substance prescribers (Schedule II, III, IV or V) to complete training on treating and managing patients with opioid and other substance use disorders, unless the prescriber is otherwise qualified.
• Allow accredited medical schools and residency programs, physician assistant schools, and schools of advanced practice nursing to fulfill the training requirement through a comprehensive curriculum that meets the standards laid out in statute, without having to coordinate the development of their education with an outside medical society or state licensing body.
• Normalize addiction medicine education across certain professional schools and phase out the need for these future practitioners to take a separate, federally mandated addiction course.

The idea for the MATE Act came from a 2019 meeting between Trahan and Dr. James Baker, a pain management expert in Massachusetts. During their conversation, Dr. Baker shared the tragic story of his 23-year-old son Max who died from an overdose. While seeking treatment for Max’s addiction, Dr. Baker asked his primary care physician for a recommendation on addiction care but was told that they did not have the expertise necessary to assist.

“On her first day in Congress, Rep. Lori Trahan started her tireless effort to reduce overdose deaths in America. She and her team worked with experts on addiction and families who lost a loved one to overdose, and with understanding and insight she then wrote the MATE Act,” said Dr. Baker. “With diplomacy, grace, and courage Rep. Trahan overcame every obstacle and she has now achieved success that will change the course of addiction care in our country. Her unbreakable efforts will save many lives. I remain deeply honored to work with Congresswoman Trahan as she helps families find effective care for every form of substance use disorder.”

The MATE Act is also endorsed by the American Society of Addiction Medicine, Shatterproof, Live4Lali, The Kennedy Forum, Well Being Trust, National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers, SMART Recovery, American Osteopathic Academy of Addiction Medicine, Association for Behavioral Health and Wellness, American College of Medical Toxicology, National Council for Behavioral Health, American College of Clinical Pharmacy, Faces & Voices of Recovery, Young People in Recovery, National Alliance for Medication Assisted Recovery, National Safety Council, and American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry.

“The American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) praises the inclusion of the bipartisan Medication Access and Training Expansion (MATE) Act in the end-of-year omnibus,” said William Haning, MD, President of ASAM. “ASAM has long stood for mainstreaming addiction medicine education throughout the medical community and medical professional schools.  We see a future where addiction prevention, treatment, remission and recovery are accessible to all.”

“The addiction crisis and the corresponding increase in drug-related deaths is the most pressing public health crisis currently facing our country. All medical professionals must have a baseline knowledge of how to prevent addiction and how to identify, treat and manage patients who have substance use disorders,” said Gary Mendell, Founder and CEO of Shatterproof. “The MATE Act normalizes and standardizes addiction care and empowers providers to better address the addiction crisis our nation is facing. Addiction medicine education will save lives, enabling evidence-based care for this chronic, treatable disease. We thank Congress and have immense gratitude for our legislative champions, Reps. Lori Trahan (D-MA), Buddy Carter (R-GA) and David Trone (D-MD) and Senators Bennet (D-CO) and Collins (R-ME).”

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