Federal funding plays a critical role in helping communities prevent overdose, expand access to treatment, support recovery, and improve health and well-being for people and families across the country.

Now, a new proposal from the Office of Management and Budget could significantly change how federal grants are awarded, reviewed, managed, and terminated. For the recovery community, these changes raise serious concerns.

On May 28, OMB released a proposed rule that would affect federal funding across a wide range of programs, including research, treatment, prevention, recovery services, workforce development, and other community-based initiatives that people rely on every day.

At Mobilize Recovery, we believe federal funding decisions should be fair, transparent, evidence-based, and guided by public health needs, not political pressure.

Why This Matters to People in Recovery and Their Families

Across the country, federal grants help support the programs and services that save lives.

These funds help communities prevent overdose, expand access to care, strengthen recovery supports, train the behavioral health workforce, conduct research, and build the systems people need to get well and stay well.

When the rules governing federal grants change, the impact can be felt far beyond government agencies and institutions. It can affect local organizations, treatment providers, recovery community organizations, researchers, families, and the people who depend on these programs.

The proposed OMB rule raises concerns in several key areas, including scientific independence, peer review, international collaboration, allowable costs, workforce requirements, and the stability of ongoing federally funded projects.

One major concern is that federal agencies would have broader authority to terminate discretionary grants if they determine that a project no longer advances agency priorities or the national interest. For communities already working with limited resources, this could create new uncertainty for programs that are actively serving people.

The proposal could also increase political involvement in grant review and decision-making. Many organizations are concerned that this could undermine processes that have traditionally relied on expert review, scientific merit, and evidence-based public health priorities.

What Could Change

The proposed rule includes several provisions that could affect organizations, researchers, and community programs receiving federal funding.

Among the most concerning provisions:

• Federal agencies could gain broader discretion to terminate discretionary grants, including when an award is determined to no longer align with agency priorities or the national interest.
• Political officials could have a larger role in reviewing grant decisions before funding is awarded, raising concerns about political influence over processes that have historically relied on expert review.
• Certain costs, including publication costs, conference attendance, advertising, public relations, and marketing, could face new restrictions or require additional agency approval.
• The rule would prohibit the use of federal funds for certain diversity, equity, and inclusion-related activities.
• Federal agencies would be discouraged from issuing awards to foreign entities and would be required to apply heightened scrutiny to projects involving international collaboration.
• Recipients of federal financial assistance could be required to participate in E-Verify for employees and contractors hired under a federal grant.
• The proposal also references “Gold Standard Science,” but the term is not clearly defined, creating additional uncertainty for grant recipients and researchers.

For the recovery field, these changes could make it harder to plan, sustain, and scale the programs that communities need.

Recovery Communities Need Stable, Evidence-Based Funding

The overdose crisis remains one of the most urgent public health challenges facing the United States. At the same time, millions of people are living in recovery, seeking treatment, supporting loved ones, or working to build stronger systems of care in their communities.

This is not the time to create new barriers to evidence-based funding.

Recovery depends on strong community infrastructure. It depends on research that helps us understand what works. It depends on treatment access, peer support, prevention, harm reduction, workforce development, and long-term recovery services.

Federal funding should strengthen that work, not create uncertainty for the people and organizations on the front lines.

Make Your Voice Heard

Public comments on the proposed OMB rule are due by July 13, 2026. OMB intends for the rule to take effect on October 1, 2026.

Members of the recovery community, families, service providers, researchers, advocates, and community organizations all have a role to play in helping OMB understand what is at stake.

By submitting a public comment, you can explain why stable, transparent, and evidence-based federal funding matters to your community, your organization, your family, or your own recovery journey.

Your comment does not need to be long or technical. What matters most is making sure OMB hears directly from people who understand the importance of prevention, treatment, recovery services, research, workforce development, and community-based support.

If you are concerned about submitting a comment with your name, you can submit anonymously. Your email address is optional, and you do not have to include it.

How to Submit a Comment

Recovery voices matter. This is an opportunity to speak up for fair, transparent, and evidence-based funding decisions that protect the programs and services communities rely on.

• Visit www.regulations.gov/commenton/OMB-2026-0034-0001 and use the form on that page to submit your comment.
• If your comment is longer than 5,000 characters, including spaces, you can upload it as an attachment.
• Your email address is optional.
• The form will ask whether you are submitting as an individual, an organization, or anonymously.
• Complete the CAPTCHA verification and submit your comment.
• All comments become public once submitted.

In your comment, you may want to share:

• Why federally funded recovery, treatment, prevention, research, or community programs matter to you or your community.
• How uncertainty around federal funding could affect people seeking care, people in recovery, families, service providers, or local organizations.
• Why grant decisions should be guided by evidence, public health needs, transparency, and expert review.
• Why stable funding is essential for programs working to prevent overdose, expand treatment access, support long-term recovery, and improve health and well-being.

Recovery Voices Matter

The recovery community knows what is at stake when funding decisions affect real people, real families, and real programs.

We need policies that support evidence-based care, protect scientific integrity, and strengthen the community programs that help people survive, heal, and thrive.

Now is the time to speak up.

Submit your comment to OMB and make sure recovery voices are heard.