Sullivan, Murkowski Celebrate Signing of Landmark Legislation to Address Substance Use and Mental Health

Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan on December 1, celebrated the signing of the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act of 2025 into law, which will expand programs to address substance use disorders and overdoses, and includes major priorities the delegation has long championed, including provisions of Bruce’s Law and the reauthorization of the Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery (STAR) Loan Repayment Program.

“Four years ago, Sandy Snodgrass faced every parent’s worst nightmare when she lost her son to fentanyl poisoning, but she turned her heartache into advocacy for families and those who struggle with substance use across the country,” said Senator Murkowski. “Now that Bruce’s Law has passed, there will be greater resources to educate the public on the dangers of fentanyl, develop new strategies to engage with young Americans at risk, and ultimately save lives.”

“Alaska has faced a five-alarm crisis in recent years as fentanyl and other synthetic opioids ravaged our communities, poisoned our kids and tore families apart,” said Sen. Sullivan. “Stemming the influx of this poison coming across our borders has been a top priority of mine here in Washington. I want to commend President Trump for signing Bruce’s Law as part of the SUPPORT Act to help combat this deadly scourge and raise awareness about the dangers of fentanyl, which has stolen the futures of far too many, like Bruce Snodgrass. This legislation is the result of one mother’s selfless mission to prevent other families from experiencing the heartbreak that she has had to endure. Thank you, Sandy, for your tireless efforts to keep Alaskans safe, and congratulations on achieving this major milestone in your noble fight against fentanyl.”

“On October 26, 2021, my 22-year-old son, Bruce, died of fentanyl poisoning in Anchorage, Alaska. Since that day, I have worked tirelessly to raise awareness about the dangers of fentanyl and advocate for legislation to address its widespread impacts across the country,” said Sandy Snodgrass, Bruce’s Mom. “Today is the culmination of years of hard work and collaboration to pass Bruce’s Law, which brings communities together to save American lives. No mother should ever have to go through what I have experienced, and with Bruce’s Law, we are now closer to that goal.”

Congress originally passed the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment for Patients and Communities (SUPPORT) in 2018, which authorized funding for community-based treatment and recovery programs. In addition to the provisions listed below, the SUPPORT Act provides new tools to help organizations across multiple fields address this crisis.

In Alaska, drugs were involved in 245 deaths between March 2024 and March 2025.