,,ii  #aacth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #bgbb  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,july #ca1     
#bjad ,mr4 ,mc,connell introduced the   
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on ,health1 
,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions  ,a   
,,bill  ,to facilitate identification   
and dissemination of evidence-informed  
recommendations for addressing maternal 
addiction and neonatal abstinence       
syndrome and to provide for studies with
 respect to neonatal abstinence         
syndrome4  #a4 ,short title  ,this ,act 
may be cited as the ,protecting ,our    
,infants ,act of #bjad4  #b4            
,evidence-informed recommendations with 
respect to maternal addiction and       
neonatal abstinence syndrome  7a7 ,in   
general ,the ,secretary of ,health and  
,human ,services 7referred to in this   
section as the ,secretary7 shall        
coordinate and facilitate the-- 7#a7    
identification and compilation of       
evidence-informed recommendations for   

physicians1 nurses1 and hospital        
facilities with respect to neonatal     
abstinence syndrome2 and  7#b7          
identification of any gaps1 as          
appropriate1 in such evidence-informed  
recommendations that may require        
additional research or analysis with    
respect to-- 7,a7 screening and         
intervention for maternal substance     
abuse1 including the misuse or abuse of 
prescription drugs in women of          
childbearing age and pregnant women2    
7,b7 treatment for pregnant and         
postpartum women with a substance use   
disorder1 including the misuse or abuse 
of prescription drugs2  7,c7 screening  
of infants for neonatal abstinence      
syndrome and for the risk of developing 
neonatal abstinence syndrome2  7,d7     
treatment for infants with neonatal     
abstinence syndrome1 including          
evidence-informed recommendations       
surrounding evaluation and treatment    
with pharmacological and                
non-pharmacological interventions2 and  

7,e7 ongoing treatment1 services1 and   
supports for postpartum women with a    
substance use disorder1 including misuse
 or abuse of prescription drugs1 and    
infants and children with neonatal      
abstinence syndrome4  7b7 ,input ,in    
carrying out subsection 7a71 the        
,secretary shall consider input from    
stakeholders1 such as health            
professionals1 public health officials1 
and law enforcement4  7c7 ,dissemination
 of information ,the ,secretary shall   
disseminate to appropriate stakeholders 
in ,states and local communities the    
evidence-informed recommendations       
identified under subsection 7a74  7d7   
,addressing ,research ,needs for        
,maternal ,addiction and ,neonatal      
,abstinence ,syndrome ,the ,secretary   
shall conduct a study to evaluate-- 7#a7
 factors related to the increased       
prevalence of maternal opiate misuse and
 abuse2  7#b7 factors related to        
maternal misuse and abuse of opiates1   
including-- 7,a7 barriers to identifying

 and treating maternal misuse and abuse 
of opiates2 and  7,b7 the most effective
 prevention and treatment strategies for
 pregnant women and other women of      
childbearing age who are at risk for or 
dependent on opiates2 and  7#c7 factors 
related to neonatal abstinence syndrome1
 including-- 7,a7 epidemiological       
studies concerning neonatal abstinence  
syndrome2  7,b7 the most effective      
methods to diagnose and treat neonatal  
abstinence syndrome2 and  7,c7 the      
long-term effects of neonatal abstinence
 syndrome and the need for a longer-term
 study on infants and children at risk  
for developing neonatal abstinence      
syndrome or diagnosed with neonatal     
abstinence syndrome4  7e7 ,report ,not  
later than #a year after the date of    
enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary  
shall provide to the ,committee on      
,health1 ,education1 ,labor1 and        
,pensions of the ,senate and the        
,committee on ,energy and ,commerce of  
the ,house of ,representatives the      

findings from the study under subsection
 7d7 and a report that identifies the   
gaps in evidence-informed               
recommendations that require additional 
research or analysis1 and priority areas
 for additional research4  #c4          
,improving data on neonatal abstinence  
syndrome ,the ,secretary of ,health and 
,human ,services1 acting through the    
,director of the ,centers for ,disease  
,control and ,prevention1 shall provide 
technical assistance to ,states to      
improve the availability and quality of 
data collection and surveillance        
activities regarding neonatal abstinence
 syndrome1 including-- 7#a7 incidence   
and prevalence of neonatal abstinence   
syndrome2  7#b7 the identification of   
causes for neonatal abstinence syndrome1
 including new and emerging trends2 and 
7#c7 the identification of demographics 
and other relevant information          
associated with neonatal abstinence     
syndrome4  #d4 ,pain management         
alternatives ,it is the sense of        

,congress that the ,director of the     
,national ,institutes of ,health should 
continue research with respect to pain  
management1 including for women of      
childbearing age4  #e4 ,,gao study ,not 
later than #a year after the date of    
enactment of this ,act1 the ,comptroller
 ,general of the ,united ,states shall  
conduct a study evaluating-- 7#a7 the   
availability and effectiveness of       
federally facilitated substance abuse   
treatment programs for pregnant women   
and their children2  7#b7 the           
availability and effectiveness of       
,federal programs that encourage ,state 
adoption and implementation of programs 
to ensure-- 7,a7 the safety and health  
of mothers who have a substance use     
disorder2 and  7,b7 the safety and      
health of children with neonatal        
abstinence syndrome2  7#c7 the          
effectiveness of ,federal data systems  
and surveillance programs used to       
monitor or track drug utilization and   
resulting trends1 including whether     

information on neonatal abstinence      
syndrome is incorporated into such data 
systems2 and  7#d7 the identification of
 the use of all discretionary funds to  
address maternal substance abuse1       
including the misuse and abuse of       
prescription drugs4