U.S. Sen. Joe Donnelly, D-Indiana, and Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-New Hampshire, are reintroducing their "Heroin and Prescription Opioid Abuse, Prevention, Education and Enforcement Act of 2015."
It builds on similar legislation they introduced last year.
It establishes a task force to develop the best, uniform procedures in prescribing pain medication, gives first responders greater training and access to life-saving naloxone, the heroin overdose antidote, helps police in their efforts to get heroin off the streets and raises awareness among healthcare providers and patients regarding drug abuse.
"We see this as a very very very serious crisis. It's a very important issue," Donnelly said. "We want to do everything we can and make sure no more Hoosiers die from these horrible drugs."
Donnelly says it remains unclear how much funding the legislation would require, although he‘s confident the measure will receive support.
Four of every five new heroin users previously used non-medical prescription pain killers before heroin, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
Heroin deaths across the nation jumped 39 percent from 2012 to 2013.