[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5057 Introduced in House (IH)]

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114th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5057

  To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for a continuing 
   education requirement for employees of the Department of Veterans 
              Affairs authorized to prescribe medication.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 26, 2016

  Mr. Keating (for himself and Mr. Rothfus) introduced the following 
     bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for a continuing 
   education requirement for employees of the Department of Veterans 
              Affairs authorized to prescribe medication.

    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 ``Safe Prescribing for Veterans Act''.

SEC. 2. CONTINUING EDUCATION REQUIREMENT FOR EMPLOYEES OF DEPARTMENT OF 
              VETERANS AFFAIRS AUTHORIZED TO PRESCRIBE MEDICATION.

    (a) In General.--Subchapter I of chapter 74 of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new section:
``Sec. 7413. Continuing education requirement for employees authorized 
              to prescribe medication
    ``(a) Requirement.--(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), the 
Secretary shall require each covered employee of the Department to 
complete not less than one accredited course of continuing education on 
pain management once every two years. Such course shall include 
information on safe prescribing practices and disposal of controlled 
substances, principles of pain management, identification of potential 
substance use disorders and addiction treatment.
    ``(2) Paragraph (1) shall not apply to a covered employee if the 
covered employee is licensed or certified by a State licensure or 
specialty board that requires the completion of continuing education 
relative to pain management or substance use disorder management.
    ``(b) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) The term `covered employee' means any employee of the 
        Department authorized to prescribe any controlled substance, 
        including an employee hired under section 7405 of this title.
            ``(2) The term `controlled substance' has the meaning given 
        such term in section 102 of the Controlled Substances Act (21 
        U.S.C. 802).
    ``(c) Applicability.--The requirement under subsection (a) shall 
apply with respect to a covered employee for any 24-month period during 
which the covered employee is employed by the Department for at least 
180 days.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of 
such chapter is amended by adding at the end of the items relating to 
subchapter I of such chapter the following new item:

``7413. Continuing education requirement for employees authorized to 
                            prescribe medication.''.
    (c) Applicability.--Section 7413 of title 38, United States Code, 
as added by subsection (a) shall apply with respect to a 12-month 
period that begins on or after the date of the enactment of this Act.
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