HHS Secretary renews public health emergency declaration on opioid crisis

Newly-appointed US Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr has renewed the public health emergency declaration addressing the USA’s opioid crisis, which will allow sustained federal coordination efforts and preserve key flexibilities that enable HHS to continue leveraging expanded authorities to conduct certain activities in response to the opioid overdose crisis.

“Although overdose deaths are starting to decline, opioid-involved overdoses remain the leading cause of drug-related fatalities,” HHS Secretary Kennedy said. “This Administration is going to treat this urgent crisis in American health as the national security emergency that it is. Renewing the Opioid Public Health Emergency Declaration affirms the Administration’s commitment to addressing the opioid overdose crisis and is one of many critical steps we will take to Make America Healthy Again,” he added.

The public health emergency, first declared under President Trump’s leadership in 2017, was set to expire on March 21, 2025. Today’s renewal extends the emergency for 90 days.  The declaration of a public health emergency provides the Secretary with certain authorities necessary to respond to the emergency. The Department has relied on this declaration to facilitate voluntary information collections, expedite demonstration projects related to substance use disorder treatment, and expedite support for research on opioid use disorder treatments. These activities facilitate multi-level coordination across the public and private sector alike, which ultimately, will continue to save lives.