As drug overdose deaths spike across the country, a House panel is looking to reauthorize a major addiction recovery program before its September expiration.

With over 100,000 people a year dying from overdoses, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, substance use disorder stands as a unique opportunity for both parties in Congress to find agreement on policy proposals.

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Reps. Brett Guthrie (R-KY) and Ann McLane Kuster (D-NH), both from states hard-hit by the opioid epidemic, introduced a bill to reauthorize the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment for Patients and Communities Act.

The law, originally signed by President Donald Trump in 2018, funded a plethora of programs to both combat substance use disorder and research it, with a focus on community management.

“Addiction and mental health touch every community in our nation — a tragic reality demonstrated by how many Members and staff have been personally impacted by this crisis," Kuster, co-chairperson of the Bipartisan Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Task Force, told the Washington Examiner. "While we have taken great strides to expand access to treatment and recovery resources, these twin epidemics continue to take lives across the country."

The reauthorization would push the programs beyond the Sept. 30 deadline through 2028 and would fund over a half-billion dollars per year in overdose prevention initiatives, an increase from 2018.

Programs for treatment, training, and recovery would also receive more per-year funding, allotting treatment programs for pregnant and postpartum women at over $38 million, first responder training at $56 million, and "building communities of recovery" at $16 million.

The reauthorization proposal also includes a loan repayment plan for those working in the field of addiction treatment and the option for states to lift a Medicaid exclusion barring reimbursements for inpatient addiction centers with more than 16 beds.

"This comprehensive package brings together members from both sides of the aisle to respond to the complicated challenges of mental health and substance use disorder with a united front," Kuster said.

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Negotiations are still ongoing in Congress, including a proposal from Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ) to allow prisoners to obtain Medicaid coverage a month before reentry into society.

The bill is set to move through the House Energy and Commerce Committee in the coming weeks, while the Senate side has not yet released draft legislation, which would come through the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee.