,i  #aaeth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #chcb  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,september #bf1      
#bjag,mr4 ,dunn 7for himself1 ,ms4      
,tenney1 ,mr4 ,poliquin1 ,mr4           
,arrington1 and ,mr4 ,tonko7 introduced 
the following bill2 which was referred  
to the ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs
  ,a ,,bill  ,to direct the ,secretary  
of ,veterans ,affairs to enter into a   
memorandum of understanding with the    
executive director of a national network
 of ,state-based prescription monitoring
 programs under which ,department of    
,veterans ,affairs health care providers
 shall query such network1 and for other
 purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act 
may be cited as the ,veterans ,opioid   
,abuse ,prevention ,act4  #b4           
,department of ,veterans ,affairs       
participation in national network of    
,state-based prescription drug          
monitoring programs  7a7 ,memorandum of 
understanding ,the ,secretary of        
,veterans ,affairs shall enter into a   

memorandum of understanding with the    
executive director of a national network
 of ,state-based prescription drug      
monitoring programs under which         
,department of ,veterans ,affairs health
 care providers shall query such network
 to support the safe and effective      
prescribing of controlled substances to 
covered patients4 ,under such memorandum
 of understanding--  7#a7 ,department   
health care providers practicing in a   
,state that participates in such network
 shall query such network in accordance 
with the agreement between that ,state's
 prescription drug monitoring program   
and such network in accordance with     
applicable ,veterans ,health            
,administration policies2 and  7#b7     
,department health care providers       
practicing in ,states that do not       
participate in such network shall query 
such network through the drug monitoring
 program of the participating ,state    
that is in closest proximity to the     
,state where the provider is practicing4

  7b7 ,covered patients ,for purposes of
 this section1 a covered patient is a   
patient who-- 7#a7 receives a           
prescription for a controlled substance 
for a period of #ij days or longer2 and 
7#b7 is not receiving palliative care or
 enrolled in hospice care4  7c7         
,exception ,the memorandum of           
understanding under subsection 7a7 shall
 provide for an exception to ensure that
 ,department health care providers are  
not obligated to comply with the        
provisions of the memorandum of         
understanding if such provisions are in 
violations of applicable ,state law4    
7d7 ,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7 
,the term controlled substance has the  
meaning given such term in paragraph    
7#f7 of section #ajb of the ,controlled 
,substances ,act 7#ba ,u4,s4,c4         
#hjb7f774  7#b7 ,the term national      
network of ,state-based prescription    
monitoring programs means an            
interconnected nationwide system that   
facilitates the transfer of ,state      

prescription drug monitoring program    
data across ,state lines4