Larsen fights drug trafficking, funds public safety, addiction recovery

||| FROM THE OFFICE OF U .S. REP. RICK LARSEN |||

Today, Rep. Larsen released the following statement about actions within the Fiscal Year 2026 government funding bills to combat the opioid epidemic in Northwest Washington:

“The opioid crisis has devastated families and communities in Northwest Washington, and while we have made progress reducing deaths and disrupting trafficking, there is more to be done,” said Rep. Larsen. “I have worked with my colleagues in Congress to bring home federal dollars to fund addiction recovery, public safety and law enforcement locally. I will keep fighting for legislative solutions to combat the opioid epidemic and save lives in our communities.”

Larsen Secures Local Public Safety Wins

This month, bipartisan legislation to improve public safety in Northwest Washington became law, which included:

• $964 million for the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program, which provides funding for regional drug task forces that help Washington state communities fight the opioid epidemic;
• $800 million for Community Oriented Policing Services Grants, which award funds to hire community policing professionals, develop and test innovative policing strategies, and provide training and technical assistance to community members, local government leaders, and all levels of law enforcement;
• $720 million for the Violence Against Women Act, which provides survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking with lifesaving legal services and transitional housing to help rebuild their lives;
• $540 million for the Legal Services Corporation, which provides legal assistance to low-income families, seniors, and women fleeing domestic abuse;
• $298.5 million for the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) Program, which provides funding for intelligence sharing and coordination across federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement;
• $1.4 billion for International Narcotics Control, which funds efforts to combat the international drug trade and keep drugs from reaching the United States;
• $109 million for Drug Free Communities (DFC), which funds community-based coalitions with the goal of preventing youth substance use;
• $82 million for STOP School Violence Act programs, which support school violence prevention, suicide prevention, and mental health crisis intervention programming;
• $7.4 billion for Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), which is the primary federal agency responsible for supporting community-based mental health and substance abuse treatment and prevention services and funds the 988 Suicide Prevention Lifeline;
  • After the Trump administration abruptly cut nearly $2 billion in SAMHSA grants, including seven Health Care Authority-administered grants in Washington state, Rep. Larsen worked with both Democrats and Republicans to demand that the funding be reinstated. The Trump administration reversed their decision less than 24 hours later.
• $600,000 for Whatcom County Sheriff Office’s Portable Radio Replacement Project, which will support the purchase of new portable radios to replace outdated radios that are failing, allowing deputies to communicate clearly with dispatch and each other; and
• $1.5 million for the Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services of Whatcom County to preserve and renovate the Douglas Building so that it can serve more survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. Representative Larsen requested funding for this project in the FY26 spending package.

Larsen Leads Fight against Opioid Crisis in Northwest Washington

Rep. Larsen is focused on supporting local efforts to combat the opioid crisis and save lives. In 2024, he published a districtwide opioid report that outlines a four-pillar framework to combat the crisis. Since the publication of that report, Larsen has introduced four pieces of legislation to fight fentanyl in Northwest Washington:

• The PROTECT Act, which gives Tribal courts and law enforcement more tools and resources to combat the opioid epidemic.
• The Workforce Opportunities for Communities in Recovery Act, which creates employment opportunities for people in recovery and supports communities impacted by widespread opioid use.
• The End Fentanyl Trafficking with Local Task Forces Act, which establishes a dedicated federal funding stream to help multi-jurisdictional drug task forces combat opioid trafficking in Washington state and across the country.
• The Closing the Substance Use Care Gap Act, which expands access to lifesaving, community-based harm reduction initiatives and services and enhances the federal response to the opioid and fentanyl epidemic.