Addressing Addiction Through the Great American Recovery Initiative
Establishes the White House Great American Recovery Initiative, a new coordinating body co-chaired by the Secretary of Health and Human Services and a Senior Advisor for Addiction Recovery, to align federal, state, private-sector, and community efforts on addiction treatment and recovery.
Creates an advisory and coordinating structure rather than mandating specific new programs; actual policy changes in federal agencies depend on future decisions by individual agency heads and the availability of appropriations.
What this order does
What it orders
The order establishes the White House Great American Recovery Initiative, directing it to coordinate the federal government's response to addiction, set clear objectives, provide public progress updates, and advise agency heads on integrating prevention, treatment, recovery support, and re-entry services across public health, criminal justice, workforce, education, housing, and social services systems. The Initiative is directed to advise on grant funding for recovery programs and to consult with states, tribal nations, local jurisdictions, faith-based organizations, and the private sector.
The order does not itself create new treatment programs, allocate specific funds, or change existing federal law. All actions taken under the Initiative are subject to applicable law and available appropriations, and nothing in the order creates enforceable legal rights or alters existing agency authority.
Who it affects
Americans suffering from addiction — particularly the estimated 40.7 million adults with untreated substance use disorder — along with federal agencies involved in health, housing, criminal justice, education, and workforce programs, and state, tribal, local, faith-based, and private-sector organizations working on recovery.
Why it matters
Federal addiction and recovery programs spread across multiple agencies may become better aligned if agency heads follow the Initiative's recommendations. For individuals with substance use disorder, the practical effect depends on whether agencies act on the Initiative's future guidance and whether new grant resources are directed toward treatment and recovery services.
What must happen and when
How the order is supposed to work
The Initiative is co-chaired by the HHS Secretary and a Senior Advisor for Addiction Recovery; day-to-day operations run through an Executive Director who reports to the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy. The body recommends and advises — it does not itself issue regulations or allocate funds. Actual changes in agency programs require the relevant agency heads to act on the Initiative's guidance consistent with their own legal authority and budget. The order has no sunset clause and no enforcement mechanism for noncompliance by agency heads.
Actions and deadlines
- Recommend steps to coordinate the federal government's response to the addiction crisis and provide data-driven public progress updates
- Advise agency heads on integrating addiction prevention, treatment, recovery, and re-entry programs across relevant systems
- Advise agency heads on directing grants to support addiction prevention, treatment, and long-term resilience
- Consult with states, tribal nations, local jurisdictions, community and faith-based organizations, and the private sector on addiction recovery strategies