,,ii #aacth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 #bejd ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,june #ai1 #bjad ,ms4 ,ayotte 7for herself and ,mr4 ,donnelly7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,health1 ,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions ,a ,,bill ,to address prescription opioid and heroin abuse4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,heroin and ,prescription ,opioid ,abuse ,prevention1 ,education1 and ,enforcement ,act of #bjad4 #b4 ,findings 7#a7 ,the ,controlled ,substances ,act 7#ba ,u4,s4,c4 #hja et seq47 declares that many controlled substances have a useful and legitimate medical purpose and are necessary to maintain the health and general welfare of the people of the ,united ,states4 7#b7 ,health care professionals1 medical experts1 researchers1 and scientists have found pain to be a major national health problem4 7#c7 ,the responsible treatment of pain is a high priority for our ,nation and the needs of individuals with pain must be taken into careful consideration when taking steps to prevent prescription drug misuse and abuse4 7#d7 ,when no longer needed or wanted for legitimate pain management or health treatment1 prescription opioids are susceptible to diversion4 ,prescription opioids also may be abused by individuals who were not prescribed such drugs or misused by individuals not taking such drugs as directed4 7#e7 ,approximately #d out of #e new heroin users report that they became addicted to prescription opioids before they used heroin for the first time4 7#f7 ,according to the ,national ,institute on ,drug ,abuse1 heroin attaches to the same brain cell receptors as prescription opioids4 7#g7 ,the low cost and high purity of currently available heroin has contributed to an increase in heroin use4 7#h7 ,more people are using heroin1 and are using heroin at a younger age4 ,the ,national ,survey on ,drug ,use and ,health reports that new heroin users numbered #adb1jjj in #bjaj1 and increased to #agh1jjj in #bjaa4 ,in #bjaa1 the average age at first use among heroin abusers between #ab and #di years was #bb4a years4 ,in #bjji1 the average age at first use among heroin abusers between #ab and #di years was #be4e years4 7#i7 ,according to the ,department of ,health and ,human ,services1 heroin use rose #gi percent nationwide between #bjjg and #bjab4 7#aj7 ,deaths from heroin overdose have significantly increased in communities across the ,united ,states4 ,according to the ,centers for ,disease ,control and ,prevention1 the number of deaths involving heroin increased by #aaj percent from #bjjf to #bjaa4 ,from #bjaj to #bjaa1 the number of heroin deaths rose from #c1jcf to #d1cig4 7#aa7 ,the ,edward ,byrne ,memorial ,justice ,assistance ,grant ,program is critical to fighting the prescription opioid abuse and heroin use epidemics1 and should be reauthorized and fully funded4 #c4 ,development of best prescribing practices 7a7 ,inter-,agency task force ,not later than #abj days after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services 7referred to in this section as the ,secretary71 in cooperation with the ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs1 the ,secretary of ,defense1 and the ,administrator of the ,drug ,enforcement ,administration1 shall convene a ,pain ,management ,best ,practices ,inter-,agency ,task ,force 7referred to in this section as the task force74 7b7 ,membership ,the task force shall be comprised of-- 7#a7 representatives of-- 7,a7 the ,department of ,health and ,human ,services2 7,b7 the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs2 7,c7 the ,department of ,defense2 7,d7 the ,drug ,enforcement ,administration2 and 7,e7 the ,institute of ,medicine2 7#b7 the ,director of the ,national ,institutes of ,health2 7#c7 physicians and non-physician prescribers2 7#d7 pharmacists2 7#e7 experts in the fields of pain research and addiction research2 7#f7 representatives of-- 7,a7 pain management professional organizations2 7,b7 the mental health treatment community2 and 7,c7 pain advocacy groups2 and 7#g7 other stakeholders1 as the ,secretary determines appropriate4 7c7 ,duties ,the task force shall-- 7#a7 not later than #ahj days after the date on which the task force is convened1 develop best practices for pain management and prescription pain medication prescribing practices1 taking into consideration-- 7,a7 existing pain management research2 7,b7 recommendations from relevant conferences2 and 7,c7 ongoing efforts at the ,state and local levels and by medical professional organizations to develop improved pain management strategies2 7#b7 solicit and take into consideration public comment on the practices developed under paragraph 7#a71 amending such best practices if appropriate2 and 7#c7 develop a strategy for disseminating information about the best practices developed under paragraphs 7#a7 and 7#b7 to prescribers1 pharmacists1 ,state medical boards1 and other parties1 as the ,secretary determines appropriate4 7d7 ,limitation ,the task force shall not have rulemaking authority4 7e7 ,report ,not later than #bgj days after the date on which the task force is convened under subsection 7a71 the task force shall submit to ,congress a report that includes-- 7#a7 the strategy for disseminating best practices developed under subsection 7c72 7#b7 the results of a feasibility study on linking best practices developed under paragraphs 7#a7 and 7#b7 of subsection 7c7 to receiving and renewing registrations under section #cjc7;f7 of the ,controlled ,substances ,act 7#ba ,u4,s4,c4 #hbc7;f772 and 7#c7 recommendations on how to apply such best practices to improve prescribing practices at medical facilities of the ,veterans ,health ,administration4 #d4 ,harold ,rogers ,prescription ,drug ,monitoring ,program 7a7 ,authorization of appropriations ,to carry out the ,harold ,rogers ,prescription ,drug ,monitoring ,program established under the ,departments of ,commerce1 ,justice1 and ,state1 the ,judiciary1 and ,related ,agencies ,appropriations ,act1 #bjjb 7,public ,law #ajg-gg2 #aae ,stat4 #gdh71 there is authorized to be appropriated #i1jjj1jjj for each of fiscal years #bjae through #bjai4 7b7 ,,gao report ,not later than ,october #a1 #bjaf1 the ,comptroller ,general of the ,united ,states shall submit to ,congress a report on the effectiveness of the ,harold ,rogers ,prescription ,drug ,monitoring ,program in reducing prescription drug abuse1 and1 to the extent practicable1 any corresponding increase or decrease in the use of heroin4 #e4 ,reauthorization of ,byrne ,justice ,assistance ,grant program ,section #ejh of title ,i of the ,omnibus ,crime ,control and ,safe ,streets ,act of #aifh 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #cgeh7 is amended by striking #bjjf through #bjab and inserting #bjae through #bjai4 #f4 ,office of ,national ,drug ,control ,policy 7a7 ,update of plan ,to account for increased heroin use ,not later than #ahj days after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,director of the ,office of ,national ,drug ,control ,policy shall revise the #bjaa ,prescription ,drug ,abuse ,prevention ,plan to reassess the approach under such plan to addressing prescription drug abuse in light of an increase in heroin use1 and to outline actions or programs that can be carried out to reduce and prevent such abuse4 7b7 ,,gao recommendations for inter-,agency coordination ,the ,director shall ensure that the ,office of ,national ,drug ,control ,policy takes into account the report of the ,government ,accountability ,office entitled ,office of ,national ,drug ,control ,policy3 ,office ,could ,better ,identify ,opportunities to ,increase ,program ,coordination issued on ,march #bf1 #bjac 7,,gao-#ac-ccc71 and identifies opportunities to enhance interagency coordination as part of the ,prescription ,drug ,abuse ,prevention ,plan1 as revised under subsection 7a74 #g4 ,awareness campaigns 7a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services shall advance the education and awareness of providers1 patients1 and other appropriate stakeholders regarding the risk of abuse of prescription opioid drugs if such products are not taken as prescribed4 7b7 ,drug-,free media campaign 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,office of ,national ,drug ,control ,policy1 in coordination with the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services and the ,attorney ,general1 shall establish a national drug awareness campaign4 7#b7 ,requirements ,the national drug awareness campaign under paragraph 7#a7 shall-- 7,a7 take into account the association between prescription opioid abuse and heroin use2 and 7,b7 emphasize the similarities between heroin and prescription opioids and the effects of heroin and prescription opioids on the human body4 7#c7 ,available funds ,funds for the national drug awareness campaign may be derived from amounts appropriated to the ,office of ,national ,drug ,control ,policy and otherwise available for obligation and expenditure4