PORTLAND, Maine (AP) The U.S. Senate has passed an act proposed by senators from Maine and Pennsylvania to provide support for grandparents who are raising grandchildren as a result of the opioid epidemic.

Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins and Democratic Sen. Bob Casey back the Supporting Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Act, which would create a federal task force about the subject.

Collins says the bill would provide help for grandparents who “are increasingly coming to the rescue” and taking on the role of care provider for grandchildren as the opioid addiction crisis grows.

The senators say more than a million grandchildren are in grandparents’ care. The bill is co-sponsored by a group of 15 senators and supported by AARP.

The U.S. House of Representatives must also pass the legislation before it can become law.