WASHINGTON, DC – Bipartisan legislation offered by PA U.S. Senators Dave McCormick and John Fetterman will help communities hit by the opioid and fentanyl crisis by strengthening the workforce needed to support addiction prevention, treatment, and recovery. Their proposal modernizes the Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act giving state and local workforce boards new tools to respond to the impacts of substance use disorders, with opioids at the center of the crisis in PA. The lawmakers said if we’re going to help more people recover, we need enough skilled workers to provide that care. The bill gives communities more tools to train that workforce so more people can get needed help. PA has made significant progress against the opioid and fentanyl crisis. Fentanyl killed about 4,000 Pennsylvanians each year from 2020 through 2023. Preliminary data indicates that figure fell to around 1,500 in 2025, the lowest level in a decade. Sustaining that progress will require a strong workforce capable of delivering prevention, treatment, recovery, and other behavioral health services.
SEN. JOHN FETTERMAN
SEN. DAVID MCCORMICK