[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3677 Introduced in House (IH)]
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114th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3677
To reduce opioid misuse and abuse.
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IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
October 1, 2015
Mr. Foster (for himself, Ms. Edwards, Ms. Esty, and Mr. Sean Patrick
Maloney of New York) introduced the following bill; which was referred
to the Committee on Energy and Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To reduce opioid misuse and abuse.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Opioid Abuse Prevention and
Treatment Act of 2015''.
SEC. 2. PILOT PROJECT.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services
(referred to in this Act as the ``Secretary'') shall award grants to
one or more States to carry out a 1-year pilot project to develop a
standardized peer review process and methodology to review and evaluate
prescribing and pharmacy dispensing patterns, through a review of
prescription drug monitoring programs (referred to in this section as
``PDMP'') in the States receiving such grants.
(b) Methodology.--The recipients of a grant under this section
shall develop a systematic, standardized methodology to identify and
investigate questionable or inappropriate prescribing and dispensing
patterns of substances on schedule II or III under section 202 of the
Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 812). Such peer review methodology
and prescribing and dispensing patterns shall be shared with the
appropriate State regulators and health profession boards.
(c) Requirements.--A State receiving a grant under this section--
(1) with respect to controlled substances for which a
prescriber is required to be registered with by the Drug
Enforcement Administration in order to prescribe such
controlled substances, shall make the information with respect
to such controlled substances from the PDMP available to State
regulators and licensing boards; and
(2) with respect to any other controlled substances, may
make the information with respect to such controlled substances
from the PDMP available to State regulators and licensing
boards.
(d) Subgrantees.--A quality improvement organization with which the
Secretary has entered into a contract under part B of title XI of the
Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1320c et seq.) may serve as the
subgrantee under this subsection to develop peer review processes as
described in subsection (a).
SEC. 3. PRESCRIPTION DRUG, HEROIN, AND OTHER CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE ABUSE
PREVENTION.
Part P of title III of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C.
280g) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``SEC. 399V-6. PRESCRIPTION DRUG, HEROIN, AND OTHER CONTROLLED
SUBSTANCE ABUSE PREVENTION.
``(a) Training Grants.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall award 5-year grants
to eligible entities to facilitate training in order to
increase the capacity of health care providers to conduct
patient screening, brief interventions, and referral to
treatment as needed, such as in health care settings to prevent
the abuse of prescription drugs, heroin, and other controlled
substances. The grant program under this section may be
coordinated with the Screening Brief Intervention and Referral
to Treatment grant program of the Substance Abuse and Mental
Health Services Administration, or other appropriate programs.
``(2) Eligible entities.--In this subsection, the term
`eligible entity' includes--
``(A) States;
``(B) physician organizations;
``(C) continuing education entities, such as health
profession boards or health accrediting bodies;
``(D) peer recovery organizations; and
``(E) other appropriate health or professional
education organizations or institutions.
``(b) Expansion of Prescribing Authority.--The Secretary, acting
through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services
Administration, shall award grants to States for the purpose of
evaluating the prospect of the health professions board of such States
reviewing and expanding prescribing authorities of providers, such as
advance practice nurses and physician's assistants, with respect to
prescribing drugs for the treatment of the abuse of prescription drugs,
heroin, or other controlled substances.''.
SEC. 4. PRESCRIPTION DRUG ABUSE TRAINING AND SCREENING PROGRAMS.
(a) Continuing Education Grants.--The Secretary shall award grants
to States to develop continuing education criteria and review processes
that allow State health profession boards or State agencies to certify
appropriate education and training for informed and safe prescribing of
opioids and other drugs listed on schedule II or III under section 202
of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 812).
(b) Screening Program.--The Attorney General shall request that a
practitioner registered under section 303(f) of the Controlled
Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 823(f)) conduct patient screening for
potential drug misuse or abuse before prescribing a drug listed on
schedule II or III under section 202 of the Controlled Substances Act
(21 U.S.C. 812), according to standards established by the applicable
State licensing body.
SEC. 5. FDA REVIEW OF NALOXONE.
The Secretary, acting through the Commissioner of Food and Drugs,
shall conduct a review of naloxone to consider whether naloxone should
cease to be subject to section 503(b) of the Federal Food, Drug, and
Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 353(b)) and be available as an over-the-counter
drug, in order to increase access to such drug.
SEC. 6. PRESCRIPTION DRUG DISPOSAL.
The Secretary shall convene or coordinate with an existing entity
an interagency working group--
(1) to encourage States and local governments to increase
opportunities for disposal of opiates, such as frequent ``take-
back programs'' and fixed medicine disposal sites at law
enforcement public buildings; and
(2) to reduce opportunities for abuse of opiates, such as
establishing opioid dispensing limits at hospital emergency
departments.
SEC. 7. GAO REPORT.
The Comptroller General of the United States shall--
(1) review opioid abuse programs, heroin abuse programs,
and policies in Federal agencies and best practices with
respect to opioid and heroin abuse and overdose programs of the
States; and
(2) not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of
this Act, issue a report to Congress on its findings and
recommendations on ways to reduce opioid and heroin abuse and
overdoses.
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