[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5261 Referred in Senate (RFS)]

<DOC>
115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5261


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 13, 2018

     Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, 
                     Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT


 
To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for regional centers 
   of excellence in substance use disorder education, and for other 
                               purposes.

    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 ``Treatment, Education, and Community 
Help to Combat Addiction Act of 2018'' or the ``TEACH to Combat 
Addiction Act of 2018''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF REGIONAL CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE IN SUBSTANCE 
              USE DISORDER EDUCATION.

    Part D of title V of the Public Health Service Act is amended by 
inserting after section 549 (42 U.S.C. 290ee-4) the following new 
section:

``SEC. 550. REGIONAL CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE IN SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER 
              EDUCATION.

    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary, in consultation with such other 
agencies as are appropriate, shall, subject to the availability of 
appropriations, establish a solicitation process and award cooperative 
agreements to eligible entities for the designation of such entities as 
Regional Centers of Excellence in Substance Use Disorder Education and 
support of such regional centers of excellence to enhance and improve 
how health professionals are educated in substance use disorder 
prevention, treatment, and recovery through development, evaluation, 
and distribution of evidence-based curricula for health profession 
schools. An eligible entity designated by the Secretary as a Regional 
Center of Excellence in Substance Use Disorder Education shall carry 
out the activities described in subsection (b).
    ``(b) Selection of Centers of Excellence.--
            ``(1) Eligible entities.--To be eligible to receive a 
        cooperative agreement under subsection (a), an entity shall--
                    ``(A) be an entity specified by the Secretary that 
                offers education to students in various health 
                professions, which may include--
                            ``(i) a health system;
                            ``(ii) a teaching hospital;
                            ``(iii) a medical school;
                            ``(iv) a certified behavioral health 
                        clinic; or
                            ``(v) any other health profession school, 
                        school of public health, or Cooperative 
                        Extension Program at institutions of higher 
                        education engaged in an aspect of the 
                        prevention, treatment, or recovery of substance 
                        use disorders;
                    ``(B) be accredited by the appropriate educational 
                accreditation body;
                    ``(C) demonstrate an existing strategy, and have in 
                place a plan for continuing such strategy, or a 
                proposed strategy to implement a curriculum based on 
                best practices for substance use disorder prevention, 
                treatment, and recovery;
                    ``(D) demonstrate community engagement and 
                participation through community partners, including 
                other health profession schools, mental health 
                counselors, social workers, peer recovery specialists, 
                substance use treatment programs, community health 
                centers, physicians' offices, certified behavioral 
                health clinics, law enforcement, and the business 
                community; and
                    ``(E) provide to the Secretary such information, at 
                such time, and in such manner, as the Secretary may 
                require.
            ``(2) Diversity.--In awarding cooperative agreements under 
        subsection (a), the Secretary shall take into account regional 
        differences among eligible entities and shall make an effort to 
        ensure geographic diversity.
    ``(c) Dissemination of Information.--
            ``(1) Public posting.--The Secretary shall make information 
        provided to the Secretary under subsection (b)(1)(E) publically 
        available on the Internet website of the Department of Health 
        and Human Services.
            ``(2) Evaluation.--The Secretary shall evaluate each 
        project carried out by a Regional Center of Excellence in 
        Substance Use Disorder Education under this section and shall 
        disseminate the findings with respect to each such evaluation 
        to appropriate public and private entities.
    ``(d) Funding.--There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out 
this section, $4,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023.''.

            Passed the House of Representatives June 12, 2018.

            Attest:

                                                 KAREN L. HAAS,

                                                                 Clerk.