[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 168 (Monday, November 16, 2015)]
[House]
[Pages H8180-H8182]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
PROTECTING OUR INFANTS ACT OF 2015
Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill
(S. 799) to address problems related to prenatal opioid use.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
S. 799
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 ``Protecting Our Infants Act
of 2015''.
SEC. 2. ADDRESSING PROBLEMS RELATED TO PRENATAL OPIOID USE.
(a) Review of Programs.--The Secretary of Health and Human
Services (referred to in this Act as the ``Secretary'') shall
conduct a review of planning and coordination related to
prenatal opioid use, including neonatal abstinence syndrome,
within the agencies of the Department of Health and Human
Services.
(b) Strategy.--In carrying out subsection (a), the
Secretary shall develop a strategy to address gaps in
research and gaps, overlap, and duplication among Federal
programs, including those identified in findings made by
reports of the Government Accountability Office. Such
strategy shall address--
(1) gaps in research, including with respect to--
(A) the most appropriate treatment of pregnant women with
opioid use disorders;
(B) the most appropriate treatment and management of
infants with neonatal abstinence syndrome; and
(C) the long-term effects of prenatal opioid exposure on
children;
(2) gaps, overlap, or duplication in--
(A) substance use disorder treatment programs for pregnant
and postpartum women; and
(B) treatment program options for newborns with neonatal
abstinence syndrome;
(3) gaps, overlap, or duplication in Federal efforts
related to education about, and prevention of, neonatal
abstinence syndrome; and
(4) coordination of Federal efforts to address neonatal
abstinence syndrome.
(c) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the
Senate and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House
of Representatives a report concerning the findings of the
review conducted under subsection (a) and the strategy
developed under subsection (b).
SEC. 3. DEVELOPING RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PREVENTING AND
TREATING PRENATAL OPIOID USE DISORDERS.
(a) In General.--The Secretary shall conduct a study and
develop recommendations for preventing and treating prenatal
opioid use disorders, including the effects of such disorders
on infants. In carrying out this subsection the Secretary
shall--
(1) take into consideration--
(A) the review and strategy conducted and developed under
section 2; and
(B) the lessons learned from previous opioid epidemics; and
(2) solicit input from States, localities, and Federally
recognized Indian tribes or tribal organizations (as defined
in the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act
(25 U.S.C. 450b)), and nongovernmental entities, including
organizations representing patients, health care providers,
hospitals, other treatment facilities, and other entities, as
appropriate.
(b) Report.--Not later than 18 months after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall make available on
the appropriate Internet Website of the Department of Health
and Human Services a report on the recommendations under
subsection (a). Such report shall address each of the issues
described in subsection (c).
(c) Contents.--The recommendations described in subsection
(a) and the report under subsection (b) shall include--
(1) a comprehensive assessment of existing research with
respect to the prevention, identification, treatment, and
long-term outcomes of neonatal abstinence syndrome, including
the identification and treatment of pregnant women or women
who may become pregnant who use opioids or have opioid use
disorders;
(2) an evaluation of--
(A) the causes of, and risk factors for, opioid use
disorders among women of reproductive age, including pregnant
women;
(B) the barriers to identifying and treating opioid use
disorders among women of reproductive age, including pregnant
and postpartum women and women with young children;
(C) current practices in the health care system to respond
to, and treat, pregnant women with opioid use disorders and
infants affected by such disorders;
(D) medically indicated uses of opioids during pregnancy;
(E) access to treatment for opioid use disorders in
pregnant and postpartum women; and
(F) access to treatment for infants with neonatal
abstinence syndrome; and
(G) differences in prenatal opioid use and use disorders in
pregnant women between demographic groups; and
(3) recommendations on--
(A) preventing, identifying, and treating the effects of
prenatal opioid use on infants;
(B) treating pregnant women who have opioid use disorders;
(C) preventing opioid use disorders among women of
reproductive age, including pregnant women, who may be at
risk of developing opioid use disorders; and
(D) reducing disparities in opioid use disorders among
pregnant women.
SEC. 4. IMPROVING DATA AND THE PUBLIC HEALTH RESPONSE.
The Secretary may continue activities, as appropriate,
related to--
(1) providing technical assistance to support States and
Federally recognized Indian Tribes in collecting information
on neonatal abstinence syndrome through the utilization of
existing surveillance systems and collaborating with States
and Federally recognized Indian Tribes to improve the
quality, consistency, and collection of such data; and
(2) providing technical assistance to support States in
implementing effective public health measures, such as
disseminating information to educate the public, health care
providers, and other stakeholders on prenatal opioid use and
neonatal abstinence syndrome.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Pennsylvania (Mr. Pitts) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gene Green)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Pennsylvania.
General Leave
Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and
insert extraneous materials in the Record on the bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Pennsylvania?
There was no objection.
Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, the bill before us today begins to combat the rise of
prenatal opioid abuse and neonatal abstinence syndrome.
Over the past several years, opioid addiction has risen dramatically
in the United States, reaching epidemic proportions. The death rate for
heroin overdose doubled in just 2 years from 2010 to 2012.
[[Page H8181]]
One of the issues resulting from this epidemic is neonatal abstinence
syndrome, known as NAS. Babies born with NAS are infants that are
addicted to opioids and that suffer medical issues associated with drug
withdrawal. Symptoms can last for weeks, keeping otherwise healthy
infants confined to the hospital at the start of their lives.
NAS can result from the use of prescription drugs or from the use of
illegal opioids. Sadly, over the past 15 years, the incidence of NAS
has tripled in the United States. This is a rapidly growing problem
that needs to be addressed for the safety of our mothers and children.
S. 799, Protecting Our Infants Act of 2015, introduced in the Senate
by Majority Leader McConnell and led in the House by my colleagues, Ms.
Clark of Massachusetts and Mr. Stivers, would address the increasing
problem of prenatal opioid abuse and neonatal abstinence syndrome.
Preventing opioid abuse among pregnant women and women of
childbearing age is crucial in addressing NAS. The Government
Accountability Office has identified that more research is needed in
this area to help treat babies born with NAS and mothers addicted to
opioids.
This legislation would help fill this research gap by directing the
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, AHRQ, to conduct a study
and develop recommendations for preventing and treating prenatal opioid
abuse and neonatal abstinence syndrome.
Mr. Speaker, the House companion to S. 799 was approved by a voice
vote in the Subcommittee on Health and the full Committee on Energy and
Commerce. Today we have a chance to approve this important bipartisan
and bicameral legislation. I urge my colleagues to support the bill.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 799, Protecting Our Infants Act
of 2015. This legislation, sponsored by Senator Mitch McConnell and
championed in the House by Representative Katherine Clark, would help
combat prenatal opioid abuse epidemic.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC, has found drug
overdose to be the leading cause of injury death in the United States
and declared prescription drug abuse to be an epidemic.
Prescription opioid use in pregnancy is strongly associated with
neonatal complications. According to a recent study in the New England
Journal of Medicine, the incidence rate of neonatal abstinence
syndrome, NAS, quadrupled from 2004 to 2013, a fourfold increase in
less than a decade.
NAS is a group of problems that occur in newborns who have been
exposed to opioids while in the womb. The symptoms are often severe.
Newborns with NAS require specialized care, typically in a neonatal
intensive care unit.
In February 2015, the Government Accountability Office, the GAO,
released a report entitled ``Prenatal Drug Use and Newborn Health:
Federal Efforts Need Better Planning and Coordination.'' The report
identified a number of different research gaps in the treatment of
opioid use during pregnancy and in the treatment of infants with NAS.
S. 799 will help combat prenatal opioid abuse and neonatal abstinence
syndrome. Addressing these issues is a critical part of our effort to
fight the ongoing prescription drug abuse epidemic.
The legislation will facilitate the development and recommendations
for the treatment of prenatal opioid abuse and NAS and coordinate a
national strategy to close research program gaps. It will also require
CDC to help States improve data collection and surveillance activities
related to prenatal opioid abuse and NAS.
I urge my colleagues to support S. 799, the Protecting Our Infants
Act, and I thank the sponsors for their commitment to this important
issue.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the
gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Jenkins), a leader on this issue.
Mr. JENKINS of West Virginia. Mr. Speaker, every day in hospitals
across my district and the country, tragically, babies begin their
lives suffering through drug withdrawal because they were exposed
during pregnancy.
Sadly, the rates of babies with NAS have skyrocketed. NAS is a
nationwide crisis. The Protecting Our Infants Act addresses the many
gaps in the care and treatment of NAS babies.
How do I know there are gaps? Today, in a facility in my hometown
that I helped start, Lily's Place is caring for 10--10--babies
suffering the ravages of withdrawal.
It took years of working through the regulatory burdens and
certification limitations just to do what is right for our most
innocent. The gaps in care are real and so are the obstacles treating
NAS babies.
This legislation will pave the way to consider new models of care,
like Lily's Place, for our NAS babies.
I commend my colleagues, Leader Mitch McConnell and Representatives
Katherine Clark and Steve Stivers, for helping to give every child a
chance at a healthy start in life.
Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the
gentlewoman from Massachusetts (Ms. Clark), the House Democratic
sponsor.
Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, today 58 babies, 1 baby
every 25 minutes, will be born suffering from the same pain adults
describe as the worst pain of their lives, the pain of drug withdrawal.
Over the last decade, the number of infants born experiencing
withdrawal from powerful drugs has grown nearly fivefold. It is a
condition called neonatal abstinence syndrome. It results from prenatal
exposure to opioids like heroin and prescription painkillers. In States
like Massachusetts, we are seeing this happen at a rate three times the
national average.
In addition to the human suffering, the costs associated with NAS
births are staggering. They are five times more expensive than healthy
births, totaling $1.5 billion for hospitals in 2012, with 80 percent
being paid by Medicaid.
But despite the best efforts of doctors, nurses, and others, there is
no coordinated response to this crisis. There are no clear best
practices for treating these infants, and more research is needed to
help understand the problem. That is why I have worked with my
colleagues, researchers, doctors, and advocates to introduce the
Protecting Our Infants Act, the first Federal bill to take proactive
steps in addressing the rise of NAS births.
{time} 1745
We were able to pass this bill in the House in September, thanks to
the help of my partner on this bill, Representative Steve Stivers. A
slightly modified version was passed a few weeks ago, due to the hard
work of our Senate sponsors, Majority Leader McConnell and Senator
Casey. With broad support in both Chambers, this is an opportunity for
Congress to make a difference for moms and babies suffering because of
the opioid epidemic.
The Protecting Our Infants Act will require the Department of Health
and Human Services to develop recommendations to prevent and treat
prenatal opioid abuse and NAS, and to develop a strategy in the
Department to coordinate programs and research. This will help ease the
suffering of the smallest victims of the opioid crisis. It will help
hospitals and Medicaid save money, and ease the burden on doctors and
nurses that are overwhelmed by this problem.
This is not controversial, partisan, or political. It is just good
policy. I thank my Republican partner in the House, Steve Stivers, for
his leadership in getting this bill to where it is today.
I ask the House to come together and help the thousands of babies and
mothers who are fighting this epidemic, and I urge my colleagues to
pass the bipartisan Protecting Our Infants Act and send this
legislation to the President for his signature.
Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my
time.
Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support this important
bipartisan, bicameral legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 799--the Protecting
Our Infants Act of 2015. This legislation addresses a sad reality of
our country's opioid epidemic: prenatal
[[Page H8182]]
opioid abuse and the steep increase in the incidence of neonatal
abstinence syndrome or NAS.
NAS occurs in newborns who were exposed to opiates while in their
mother's womb and is associated with negative health outcomes such as
preterm births, low birthweight, and respiratory distress. A recent
study found the incidence of NAS quadrupled between 2004 and 2013. This
legislation would respond to that dramatic increase by requiring HHS to
create a comprehensive national strategy to address prenatal opioid
abuse and NAS. That strategy would include a coordinated research and
programming strategy to address the public health challenge of NAS and
prenatal opioid abuse as well as develop a comprehensive set of
recommendations for preventing and treating prenatal opioid use
disorders and NAS.
I want to thank Rep. Katherine Clark for her leadership on this
critical and timely issue. I urge my colleagues to support this
legislation.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Pitts) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, S. 799.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________