[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 97 (Tuesday, June 12, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H5034-H5036]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
INDEXING NARCOTICS, FENTANYL, AND OPIOIDS ACT OF 2018
Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 4284) to establish a Federal Coordinator within the
Department of Health and Human Services, and for other purposes, as
amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 4284
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 ``Indexing Narcotics,
Fentanyl, and Opioids Act of 2018'' or the ``INFO Act''.
SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER INFORMATION
DASHBOARD.
Title XVII of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300u
et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following new
section:
``SEC. 1711. ESTABLISHMENT OF SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER
INFORMATION DASHBOARD.
``(a) In General.--Not later than six months after the date
of the enactment of this section, the Secretary of Health and
Human Services shall, in consultation with the Director of
National Drug Control Policy, establish and periodically
update a public information dashboard that--
``(1) coordinates information on programs within the
Department of Health and Human Services related to the
reduction of opioid abuse and other substance use disorders;
``(2) provides access to publicly available data from other
Federal agencies; State, local, and Tribal governments;
nonprofit organizations; law enforcement; medical experts;
public health educators; and research institutions regarding
prevention, treatment, recovery, and other services for
opioid use disorder and other substance use disorders;
``(3) provides comparable data on substance use disorder
prevention and treatment strategies in different regions and
population of the United States;
``(4) provides recommendations for health care providers on
alternatives to controlled substances for pain management,
including approaches studied by the National Institutes of
Health Pain Consortium and the National Center for
Complimentary and Integrative Health; and
``(5) provides guidelines and best practices for health
care providers regarding treatment of substance use
disorders.
[[Page H5035]]
``(b) Controlled Substance Defined.--In this section, the
term `controlled substance' has the meaning given that term
in section 102 of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C.
802).''.
SEC. 3. INTERAGENCY SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER COORDINATING
COMMITTEE.
(a) Establishment.--Not later than three months after the
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health
and Human Services (in this section referred to as the
``Secretary'') shall, in consultation with the Director of
National Drug Control Policy, establish a committee, to be
known as the Interagency Substance Use Disorder Coordinating
Committee (in this section referred to as the ``Committee''
), to coordinate all efforts within the Department of Health
and Human Services concerning substance use disorder.
(b) Membership.--
(1) Federal members.--The following individuals shall be
the Federal members of the Committee:
(A) The Secretary, who shall service as the Chair of the
Committee.
(B) The Attorney General of the United States.
(C) The Secretary of Labor.
(D) The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.
(E) The Secretary of Education.
(F) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
(G) The Commissioner of Social Security.
(H) The Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance
Use.
(I) The Director of the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention.
(J) The Director of the National Institutes of Health and
the Directors of such national research institutes of the
National Institutes of Health as the Secretary determines
appropriate.
(K) The Administrator of the Centers for Medicare &
Medicaid Services.
(L) The Director of National Drug Control Policy.
(M) Representatives of other Federal agencies that serve
individuals with substance use disorder.
(2) Non-federal members.--The Committee shall include a
minimum of 17 non-Federal members appointed by the Secretary,
of which--
(A) at least two such members shall be an individual who
has received treatment for a diagnosis of an opioid use
disorder;
(B) at least two such members shall be an individual who
has received treatment for a diagnosis of a substance use
disorder other than an opioid use disorder;
(C) at least two such members shall be a State Alcohol and
Substance Abuse Director;
(D) at least two such members shall be a representative of
a leading research, advocacy, or service organization for
adults with substance use disorder;
(E) at least two such members shall--
(i) be a physician, licensed mental health professional,
advance practice registered nurse, or physician assistant;
and
(ii) have experience in treating individuals with opioid
use disorder or other substance use disorders;
(F) at least one such member shall be a substance use
disorder treatment professional who is employed with an
opioid treatment program;
(G) at least one such member shall be a substance use
disorder treatment professional who has research or clinical
experience in working with racial and ethnic minority
populations;
(H) at least one such member shall be a substance use
disorder treatment professional who has research or clinical
mental health experience in working with medically
underserved populations;
(I) at least one such member shall be a State-certified
substance use disorder peer support specialist;
(J) at least one such member shall be a drug court judge or
a judge with experience in adjudicating cases related to
substance use disorder;
(K) at least one such member shall be a law enforcement
officer or correctional officer with extensive experience in
interacting with adults with a substance use disorder; and
(L) at least one such member shall be an individual with
experience providing services for homeless individuals and
working with adults with a substance use disorder.
(c) Terms.--
(1) In general.--A member of the Committee appointed under
subsection (b)(2) shall be appointed for a term of three
years and may be reappointed for one or more three-year
terms.
(2) Vacancies.--A vacancy on the Committee shall be filled
in the same manner in which the original appointment was
made. Any individual appointed to fill a vacancy for an
unexpired term shall be appointed for the remainder of such
term and may serve after the expiration of such term until a
successor has been appointed.
(d) Meetings.--The Committee shall meet not fewer than two
times each year.
(e) Duties.--The Committee shall--
(1) monitor opioid use disorder and other substance use
disorder research, services, and support and prevention
activities across all relevant Federal agencies, including
coordination of Federal activities with respect to opioid use
disorder and other substance use disorders;
(2) identify and provide to the Secretary recommendations
for improving Federal grants and programs for the prevention
and treatment of, and recovery from, opioid use disorder and
other substance use disorders;
(3) review substance use disorder prevention and treatment
strategies in different regions and populations in the United
States and evaluate the extent to which Federal substance use
disorder prevention and treatment strategies are aligned with
State and local substance use disorder prevention and
treatment strategies;
(4) make recommendations to the Secretary regarding any
appropriate changes with respect to the activities and
strategies described in paragraphs (1) through (3);
(5) make recommendations to the Secretary regarding public
participation in decisions relating to opioid use disorder
and other substance use disorders and the process by which
public feedback can be better integrated into such decisions;
and
(6) make recommendations to ensure that opioid use disorder
and other substance use disorder research, services, and
support and prevention activities of the Department of Health
and Human Services and other Federal agencies are not
unnecessarily duplicative.
(f) Annual Report.--
(1) In general.--Not later than one year after the date of
the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter for the
life of the Committee, the Committee shall publish on the
public information dashboard established under section 2(a) a
report summarizing the activities carried out by the
Committee pursuant to subsection (e), including any findings
resulting from such activities.
(2) Recommendation for committee extension.--After the
publication of the second report of the Committee under
paragraph (1), the Secretary shall submit to Congress a
recommendation on whether or not the operations of the
Committee should continue after the termination date
described in subsection (i).
(g) Working Groups.--The Committee may establish working
groups for purposes of carrying out the duties described in
subsection (e). Any such working group shall be composed of
members of the Committee (or the designees of such members)
and may hold such meetings as are necessary to enable the
working group to carry out the duties delegated to the
working group.
(h) Federal Advisory Committee Act.--The Federal Advisory
Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall apply to the Committee
only to the extent that the provisions of such Act do not
conflict with the requirements of this section.
(i) Sunset.--The Committee shall terminate on the date that
is six years after the date on which the Committee is
established under subsection (a).
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Oregon (Mr. Walden) and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Oregon.
General Leave
Mr. WALDEN. 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 Oregon?
There was no objection.
{time} 1445
Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my strong support for H.R. 4284,
the Indexing Narcotics, Fentanyl, and Opioid Act of 2018, more easily
known as the INFO Act.
This legislation will facilitate the linking of all nationwide health
efforts and strategies to combat the opioid crisis into one place, as
well as create an interagency substance abuse disorder coordinating
committee to review and coordinate research, services, and prevention
activities across all relevant Federal agencies. This is going to be a
tremendous resource for patients, families, and local communities and
their leaders. I want to thank my colleague from Ohio (Mr. Latta) for
leading this important initiative.
I think all of us in our districts, Mr. Speaker, have heard directly
from people saying: I don't know what resources are there at the
Federal level. I don't know where to go access it. Can't you do
something?
That is why Mr. Latta, who chairs our Subcommittee on Digital
Commerce and Consumer Protection, rose to the challenge and put
together this piece of legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Latta)
to discuss the importance of this legislation.
Mr. LATTA. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman of the committee for all
his hard work and for especially shepherding these 57 bills that we got
through committee on the opioid crisis
[[Page H5036]]
that we have in this country. I thank him for that and for helping on
this piece of legislation today.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4284, the INFO Act, the
Indexing Narcotics, Fentanyl, and Opioids Act.
In Ohio, we have experienced some of the worst of the crisis. In a
12-month period ending June 30 of last year, 5,232 lives were lost due
to overdoses. That is a 39 percent increase from the previous year and
three times the national average.
In talking with my constituents across the district, I have learned
that to make a real difference in the lives of those who are struggling
with addiction, we need to get more data, information, and funding into
the hands of the right people. That is exactly what the INFO Act does.
My bill creates a public dashboard consisting of comprehensive
information and data on nationwide efforts to combat the opioid crisis.
Establishing a one-stop shop makes it easier for advocates, healthcare
providers, and State and local governments to access Federal funding,
data on opioid abuse, and the best practices for treatment.
Due to this crisis, we are losing 115 Americans a day across this
Nation. The time to act is now. I urge my colleagues to support the
passage of this legislation.
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4284, the Indexing Narcotics,
Fentanyl, and Opioids Act, or INFO Act.
The opioid crisis is a complex issue that requires an all-hands-on-
deck approach. Communities across the Nation are being ravaged by this
crisis, and many are working hard to find ways to stop it.
With 115 people dying every day from opioid overdoses, communities
could benefit from sharing effective interventions to decrease opioid
use disorder and overdose deaths and having one-stop access to Federal
resources, including grant funding announcements, available to support
their efforts.
The INFO Act would create a central repository for information on
programs within HHS related to the reduction of opioid abuse and other
substance use disorders, as well as how communities nationwide are
tackling the opioid epidemic. In this way, folks across the country can
work together and learn from one another.
This easily accessible, electronic public dashboard would allow for
strategies to combat this crisis to be shared and served as a resource
to patients, loved ones of those with opioid use disorder, and local
communities.
The INFO Act also would establish an interagency substance use
disorder coordinating committee to help coordinate response efforts to
the opioid epidemic within HHS.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I, too, would encourage our colleagues to
support this fine piece of legislation and, again, commend its authors
for doing the good work that will help so many in our districts.
Mr. Speaker, I urge support, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Walden) that the House suspend the rules and
pass the bill, H.R. 4284, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
The title of the bill was amended so as to read: ``A bill to
establish a substance use disorder information dashboard within the
Department of Health and Human Services, and for other purposes.''.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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