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The Indexing Narcotics, Fentanyl, and Opioids (INFO) Act, legislation authored by Congressman Bob Latta (R-Bowling Green) to combat the opioid crisis, has been included in legislation agreed to by the House and Senate. H.R. 4284, the INFO Act, passed the House in July and was included as centerpiece legislation in H.R. 6, a comprehensive legislative package to tackle the opioid crisis. After the Senate passed their opioid legislation recently, negotiations were undertaken to iron out the differences in the two bills.
 
The INFO Act establishes an accessible database for information and resources that can be used by health care providers, state and local governments, pharmacists, advocates, and law enforcement. Additionally, the INFO Act will track Federal funding being used to combat the epidemic. This week, nearly $7 billion to combat the epidemic will be included in appropriations legislation voted on by the House of Representatives. The INFO Act will help communities in Northwest and West Central Ohio better access that funding and other funding that has been made available through the 21st Century Cures Act and the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act.
 
“I authored the INFO Act after hearing from those on the front lines of the opioid epidemic about issues they were having obtaining available funding and information,” said Latta. “A record amount of resources are being made available to prevent addiction, provide treatment, and combat this crisis, but we need to ensure that communities can access these funds. The inclusion of the INFO Act in this final package will help advocates, law enforcement providers, and health care providers find critical information in one place. There are dozens of other important provisions in the bill as well, and I urge my colleagues to approve this legislation and get it to the President’s desk quickly. This crisis is not slowing down, and it’s time to take action. Failure is not an option.”
 
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