WASHINGTON, DC - The Subcommittee on Health, chaired by Rep. Joseph Pitts (R-PA), today approved 12 bills, nearly all of which help address the opioid and drug abuse crisis facing our nation. Today’s votes advance the Energy and Commerce Committee’s ongoing efforts to address the opioid epidemic.
Full committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) stated, “Nearly every 12 minutes, someone dies of a drug overdose in the United States. It’s a frightening prospect, but we have to face this epidemic head on, and today is an important step forward."
The subcommittee approved the following bills (in order by consideration):
H.R. 4978, the Nurturing and Supporting Healthy Babies Act - Authored by Rep. Evan Jenkins (R-WV) and Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-IL), this legislation would require the Comptroller General of the United States to issue a report one year after enactment on neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS).
H.R. 4641, to provide for the establishment of an inter-agency task force to review, modify, and update best practices for pain management and prescribing pain medication, and for other purposes - Authored by committee member Rep. Susan Brooks (R-IN), this legislation would establish an inter-agency task force to review, modify, and update best practices for pain management and how pain medication is prescribed.
H.R. 3680, the Co-Prescribing to Reduce Overdoses Act of 2015 - Authored by committee member Rep. John Sarbanes (D-MD), this legislation would create a grant program for co-prescribing opioid reversal drugs for patients who are at a high risk of overdose.
H.R. 3691, the Improving Treatment for Pregnant and Postpartum Women Act of 2015 - Authored by committee member Rep. Ben Lujan (D-NM), this legislation would reauthorize a residential treatment program that currently provides numerous services to aide pregnant women or postpartum women facing substance abuse.
H.R. 1818, the Veteran Emergency Medical Technician Support Act of 2015 - Authored by committee member Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), this legislation (which passed the House last Congress) would create a demonstration program to streamline emergency medical technician state requirements and procedures for veterans who have already completed military emergency medical technician training.
H.R. 3250, the DXM Abuse Prevention Act of 2015 - Authored by committee members Rep. Bill Johnson (R-OH) and Rep. Doris Matsui (D-CA), this legislation would prohibit the sale of a drug containing dextromethorphan (DXM) to an individual under 18, unless the individual has a prescription or is actively enrolled in the military and place restrictions on distribution of bulk DXM.
H.R. 4969, the John Thomas Decker Act - Authored by Rep. Pat Meehan (R-PA), Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI), and Rep. Marc Veasey (D-TX), this legislation would amend the Public Health Service Act to direct HHS to study what information and resources are available to youth athletes and their families regarding the dangers of opioid use and abuse, non-opioid treatment options, and how to seek addiction treatment. HHS would then be required to report its findings and work with stakeholders to disseminate resources to students, parents, and those involved in treating a sports related injury.
H.R. 4586, Lali’s Law - Authored by Rep. Bob Dold (R-IL) and Rep. Katherine Clark (D-MA), this legislation would amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize grants to states for developing standing orders for naloxone prescriptions and educating health care professionals regarding the dispensing of opioid overdose reversal medication without person-specific prescriptions.
H.R. 4599, the Reducing Unused Medications Act of 2016 - Authored by Rep. Katherine Clark (D-MA) and Rep. Steve Stivers (R-OH), this legislation would amend the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) to clarify when a prescription for a drug listed on Schedule II of the CSA may be partially filled.
H.R. 4976, the Opioid Review Modernization Act - Authored by Rep. Sean Maloney (D-NY) and committee member Rep. Leonard Lance (R-NJ), this legislation would require the FDA to work closely with expert advisory committees before making critical product approval and labeling decisions, and to make recommendations regarding education programs for prescribers of extended-release and long-acting opioids.
H.R., Examining Opioid Treatment Infrastructure Act of 2016 - Authored by Rep. Bill Foster (D-IL) and Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), this legislation would require the Comptroller General of the United States to issue a report to Congress on substance abuse treatment availability and infrastructure needs throughout the United States. This report shall include an evaluation of various substance abuse treatment settings including inpatient, outpatient, and detoxification programs.
H.R., the Opioid Use Disorder Treatment Expansion and Modernization Act - Authored by committee members Rep. Larry Bucshon, M.D. (R-IN) and Rep. Paul Tonko (D-NY), this legislation would amend the Controlled Substances Act to expand access to medication-assisted treatment, while ensuring that patients receive the full array of quality evidence-based services and minimizing the potential for drug diversion.
“I want to thank the sponsors of each of these bills for their diligent work thus far. These bills address a complex epidemic and I know that after the subcommittee consideration today, the work will continue," concluded Chairman Pitts. Full committee Chairman Upton also said that the full committee could take up these bills as early as next week.
Electronic copies of the bills can be found on the Energy and Commerce Committee’s website here. A background memorandum, amendments, and votes will be available at the same link. Related Items
* Health Subcommittee Vote on H.R. 4978, H.R. 4641, H.R. 3680, H.R. 3691, H.R. 1818, the Opioid Use Disorder Treatment Expansion and Modernization Act, H.R. 3250, H.R. 4969, H.R. 4586, H.R. 4599, H.R. 4976, and the Examining Opioid Treatment Infrastru...
