Washington, D.C. –The Energy and Commerce Committee passed 11 bills to combat drug addiction and opioid abuse. Two of these bills passed with amendments offered by Congressman David B. McKinley, P.E. (R-WV). These amendments will help provide health resources for rural areas and strengthen real time data reporting at the local, state, and federal levels. 

“Opioid and drug addiction continue to be a growing problem here in America. Too many families are being squeezed by the grip of addiction. As a result we have seen families destroyed and lives lost.  The Mountain State has been particularly devastated, with a report showing West Virginia ranked the highest in the nation for the number of youth drug overdose deaths. This is an alarming trend that we must reverse,” said McKinley.

“These bills are not a permanent solution, but they are strong steps in the right direction.  This legislation will help prevent, educate, and treat those who are struggling with addiction. We need to put more people on the road to recovery and I look forward to passing these bills through the House in the coming weeks,” McKinley stated.

To view Congressman McKinley’s remarks please click here.

A summary of these bills is provided below.

• H.R. 3250, the DXM Abuse Prevention Act of 2015 – Authored by committee member Rep. Bill Johnson (R-OH), 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 4981, 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.

• H.R. 4982, 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.