Addressing Addiction After Disasters Act

H.R. 6249 would amend federal disaster relief law to ensure that people affected by major disasters can access treatment and counseling services for substance use and alcohol disorders. Currently, the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program provides mental health support to disaster survivors, but does not explicitly include substance use or alcohol disorder services. This bill would add those services to the program.

The legislation responds to evidence that disasters significantly increase substance abuse and alcohol use among survivors. For example, following Hurricane Katrina, alcohol consumption increased by approximately 185 percent and hospitalizations for substance use disorders rose by about 30 percent. The bill would require FEMA to consider substance use and alcohol disorders when planning and staffing disaster response programs, ensuring that survivors struggling with addiction receive comprehensive support during recovery.

The bill is currently under committee consideration and has not yet been voted on by the full House. If enacted, it would provide disaster survivors with access to a fuller range of mental health and addiction services during the critical recovery period following major disasters.