Respond NOW Act

Respond to the Needs in the Opioid War Act or the Respond NOW Act This bill establishes the Opioid Epidemic Response Fund through FY2022 to fund programs and activities addressing the opioid and substance use epidemic, including: Food and Drug Administration support of innovation in non-opioid and nonaddictive medical products for pain treatment, National Institutes of Health research on creating longer-lasting or faster-acting antidotes for opioid overdoses, Health Resources and Services Administration efforts to increase the availability and capacity of the behavioral health workforce, and Administration for Children and Families programs for child abuse prevention and treatment. The bill amends the 21st Century Cures Act to extend funding through FY2022 for programs to help states address substance use prevention and treatment. The bill amends the Controlled Substances Act to allow a practitioner to dispense narcotic drugs for maintenance treatment or detoxification treatment to an increased number of patients under specified conditions. The bill amends the Social Security Act to include methadone treatment in Medicare coverage.