The U.S. Senate voted 94-1  to approve S. 524, the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, legislation that authorizes grants to address the national prescription opioid and heroin addiction epidemics.

The bill authorizes $77.9 million a year from fiscal year 2016 through 2020 for grants awarded by the Health and Human Services and the Justice departments. The funds must still be appropriated through the annual appropriations process.

The funding could be used for treatment and recovery services, alternatives to prison for nonviolent offenders, law enforcement initiatives and programs to prevent overdose deaths and improper prescriptions. Many of the bill’s provisions would direct HHS and the Justice Department to coordinate with each other on grant decisions, support evidence-based practices, provide technical assistance to grant recipients and ensure an equitable geographic distribution of funds. As part of this effort, the bill directs HHS to convene an interagency task force to develop best practices for pain management and prescribing pain medication and a strategy for disseminating such best practices.

Although there has yet to be action in the House on an identical bill introduced by Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wisc.), there is hope that legislation to address opioid abuse could be one area of bipartisan agreement this year. On Wednesday the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee will consider four additional substance abuse treatment bills that are expected to be part of a broader behavioral health package.