Heinrich Cosponsors Bipartisan Legislation to Combat Opioid Overdoses & Save Lives

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) cosponsored the Workplace Overdose Reversal Kits (WORK) to Save Lives Act, bipartisan legislation to help tackle rising rates of opioid overdoses with increased access to overdose reversal medications like naloxone.

The National Safety Council found that while 75 percent of employers report seeing opioid use impact their workplace, only 17 percent report being well-prepared to address it. Though some states reported a decrease in overdose deaths in 2025, New Mexico experienced an increase by an estimated 5-10% when compared to 2024, according to recent NM High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) data.

The WORK to Save Lives Act will ensure workplaces in New Mexico and nationwide have better tools and training to address the opioid epidemic.

"New Mexicans know too well the heartache of losing a loved one to opioids. We need to tackle this epidemic with the urgency it demands," said Heinrich. "This legislation will expand access to overdose reversal medications and save lives. I remain committed to fighting this crisis and helping New Mexicans access the care and support they need."

Specifically, the WORK to Save Lives Act will require the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to issue guidance to employers and federal agencies regarding opioid overdose reversal medication attainment, usage, and training.

The legislation is led by U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska.). Alongside Heinrich, the legislation is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.). In the U.S. House of Representatives, the legislation is led by U.S. Representatives Bonnie Watson (D-N.J.) and John Rutherford (R-Fla.). Cosponsors in the U.S. House of Representatives include U.S. Representatives Gabe Amo (D-R.I.), Nikki Budzinski (D-Ill.), André Carson (D-Ind.), Angie Craig (D-Minn.), Danny K. Davis (D-Ill.), Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.), Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.), April McClain Delaney (D-Md.), LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), Shri Thanedar (D-Mich.), and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.).

The bipartisan, bicameral bill is endorsed by the National Safety Council and Global Health Advocacy Incubator.

The full bill text is here.

Additional Background on Heinrich's Work to Tackle the Opioid Crisis

In January, Heinrich, as a member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, successfully passed into law language directing the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to develop a comprehensive fentanyl tracking system, which will include documentation of seizure location, chemical composition, probable or known manufacturing location, and probable or known point of entry into the United States. Currently, fentanyl interdiction is compiled at land ports of entry by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), but the DEA does not have readily accessible tracking data on the movement of illicit drugs within the U.S. or their point of origin. Requiring the compilation and organization of that data will complement DHS' work and improve our country's work to effectively combat the fentanyl crisis.

In October 2024, Heinrich, along with the N.M. Congressional Delegation, announced over $3 million dollars secured from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to Tribal communities to serve individuals with opioid use disorder and co-occurring substance use disorders by funding culturally specific and evidence-based treatment, including medication for the treatment of opioid use disorder (MOUD). These HHS Tribal Opioid Response Grants were awarded through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration(SAMHSA).

Also in October 2025, Heinrich, alongside U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján, sent a letter to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. laying out how the Department's reckless mass firings during Trump's government shutdown hurt Americans' health and set back federal efforts to tackle the fentanyl and substance use disorder crisis, and address infant and maternal mortality.

In July 2025, Heinrich announced that his Halt All Lethal Trafficking of (HALT) Fentanyl Act to permanently classify fentanyl-related substances (FRS) as Schedule I drugs, under the Controlled Substances Act, had been signed into law.

In July 2024, Heinrich announced U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee support for $1.4 billion for the U.S. Department of State's International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Bureau to combat the fentanyl crisis.

In June 2024, Heinrich, along with the N.M. Congressional Delegation announced $9.5 million to combat the fentanyl crisis across the state. This funding came from the Biden White House's High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) Program, which provided New Mexico's law enforcement agencies with tools to keep communities safe from illicit fentanyl and reduce violent crime associated with drug trafficking.

Also in June 2024, Heinrich welcomed the U.S. Department Health and Human Services' (HHS) selection of New Mexico into the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) Medicaid Demonstration Program. The program provides states with funding to expand access to mental health care and substance use services.

In April 2024, Heinrich announced the passage of legislation he cosponsored, the FEND Off Fentanyl Act, into law. The bipartisan legislation targets the fentanyl crisis by wielding our country's economic tools against transnational criminal organizations.

In March 2024, Heinrich welcomed $400 million he fought to pass for U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) to detect and seize fentanyl at our ports of entry. Heinrich also announced he had successfully secured substantial federal funding to combat the fentanyl crisis in New Mexico, including:

• $364,000 for the Albuquerque Police Department to purchase equipment to safely identify fentanyl and other illicit substances to increase apprehensions and improve prosecutions.

• $300,000 for the City of Santa Fe's Mobile Integrated Health Office to provide a team of trauma-informed responders and providers to administer care and navigation services to those experiencing a crisis or behavioral health emergency.

• $295,000 for Hidalgo, Catron, and Grant Counties to purchase equipment for use by local law enforcement to safely detect fentanyl and other illicit drugs and improve officer and community safety.

• $194,000 for the Las Cruces Police Department to Purchase equipment to safely analyze fentanyl and other illicit narcotics and create a community engagement effort to educate youth on the dangers of illicit drugs.

• $172,000 for the Silver City Police Department to purchase equipment to safely identify fentanyl and other illicit substances and fund associated training for officers.

Heinrich also cosponsored the Stop Fentanyl at the Border Act, legislation that will enable CBP to hire more Officers and Border Patrol Agents to increase capacity to stop illicit smuggling over the border.

In February 2024, Heinrich led a bipartisan letter to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) urging the agency to include Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD), specifically buprenorphine and methadone, in its List of Essential Medicines. This action would significantly help health care providers address the ongoing opioid epidemic by making these drugs more readily available in medical facilities.

In August 2023, Heinrich announced 24 local projects in the Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill to improve access to quality health care and help medical providers treat mental health and substance use disorders in New Mexico. Heinrich also led a letter to the FDA urging the agency to conduct Tribal consultations and discussions with rural communities to incorporate their feedback prior to finalizing its policy on at-home disposal of prescription opioids. And Heinrich announced federal funding for the Santa Fe Recovery Center, Inc. from HHS to combat the opioid epidemic and substance abuse in communities across New Mexico. The funding went towards recovery addiction treatment, recovery services, and overdose prevention.

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