,,ib  ,union ,calendar ,no4 #ebg  #aaeth
 ,,congress  #b;d ,session  ,h4 ,r4     
#chcb  ,report ,no4 #aae-fhd  ,,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  ,may #ah1 #bjah    
,additional sponsors3 ,mr4 ,rutherford1 
,mr4 ,bost1 ,mr4 ,knight1 ,mr4          
,mc,kinley1 ,mr4 ,hultgren1 ,mr4 ,gibbs1
 ,mr4 ,jones1 ,mr4 ,lewis of ,minnesota1
 ,mr4 ,austin ,scott of ,georgia1 ,mr4  
,walden1 ,mr4 ,faso1 ,mrs4 ,love1 ,mr4  
,byrne1 ,mr4 ,hudson1 ,mr4 ,latta1 ,mr4 
,allen1 ,mr4 ,coffman1 ,mr4 ,bucshon1   
,mr4 ,bergman1 ,mr4 ,valadao1 ,mr4      
,yoho1 ,mrs4 ,wagner1 ,mrs4 ,handel1    
,mr4 ,ferguson1 ,ms4 ,kuster of ,new    
,hampshire1 ,mr4 ,gianforte1 ,mr4       
,higgins of ,louisiana1 ,mr4 ,kilmer1   
,mr4 ,marshall1 ,mr4 ,heck1 ,mr4 ,soto1 
,mrs4 ,hartzler1 ,mr4 ,lamb1 ,mr4       

,olson1 ,mr4 ,rouzer1 and ,ms4 ,sinema  
,may #ah1 #bjah ,reported with          
amendments1 committed to the ,committee 
of the ,whole ,house on the ,state of   
the ,union1 and ordered to be printed   
,strike out all after the enacting      
clause and insert the part printed in   
italic ,for text of introduced bill1 see
 copy of bill as introduced on          
,september #bf1 #bjag  ,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 ,in general    

,chapter #ag of title #ch1 ,united      
,states ,code1 is amended by inserting  
after section #agcj;,a the following new
 section3  #agcj;,b4 ,access to ,state  
prescription drug monitoring programs   
7a7 ,access to programs  7#a7 ,any      
licensed health care provider or        
delegate of such a provider shall be    
considered an authorized recipient or   
user for the purpose of querying and    
receiving data from the national network
 of ,state-based prescription drug      
monitoring programs to support the safe 
and effective prescribing of controlled 
substances to covered patients4  7#b7   
,under the authority granted by         
paragraph 7#a7-- 7,a7 licensed health   
care providers or delegates of such     
providers shall query such network in   
accordance with applicable regulations  
and policies of the ,veterans ,health   
,administration2 and  7,b7              
notwithstanding any general or specific 
provision of law1 rule1 or regulation of
 a ,state1 no ,state may restrict the   

access of licensed health care providers
 or delegates of such providers from    
accessing that ,state's prescription    
drug monitoring programs4  7#c7 ,no     
,state shall deny or revoke the license1
 registration1 or certification of a    
licensed health care provider or        
delegate who otherwise meets that       
,state's qualifications for holding the 
license1 registration1 or certification 
on the basis that the licensed health   
care provider or delegate has queried or
 received data1 or attempt to query or  
receive data1 from the national network 
of ,state-based prescription drug       
monitoring programs under this section4 
7b7 ,covered patients ,for purposes of  
this section1 a covered patient is a    
patient who-- 7#a7 receives a           
prescription for a controlled substance2
 and  7#b7 is not receiving palliative  
care or enrolled in hospice care4  7c7  
,definitions ,in this section3  7#a7    
,the term controlled substance has the  
meaning given such term in section      

#ajb7f7 of the ,controlled ,substances  
,act 7#ba ,u4,s4,c4 #hjb7f774  7#b7 ,the
 term delegate means a person or        
automated system accessing the national 
network of ,state-based prescription    
monitoring programs at the direction or 
under the supervision of a licensed     
health care provider4  7#c7 ,the term   
licensed health care provider means a   
health care provider employed by the    
,department who is licensed1 certified1 
or registered within any ,state to fill 
or prescribe medications within the     
scope of his or her practice as a       
,department employee4  7#d7 ,the term   
national network of ,state-based        
prescription monitoring programs means  
an interconnected nation-wide system    
that facilitates the transfer to ,state 
prescription drug monitoring program    
data across ,state lines4  7#e7 ,the    
term ,state means a ,state1 as defined  
in section #aja7bj7 of this title1 or a 
political subdivision of a ,state4  4   
7b7 ,clerical amendment ,the table of   

sections at the beginning of chapter #ag
 of such title is amended by inserting  
after the item relating to section      
#agcj;,a the following new item3        
#agcj;,b4 ,access to ,state prescription
 drug monitoring programs4  4  ,amend   
the title so as to read3 ,a bill to     
amend title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 
to provide for access by ,department of 
,veterans ,affairs health care providers
 to ,state prescription drug monitoring 
programs44  ,may #ah1 #bjah ,reported   
with amendments1 committed to the       
,committee of the ,whole ,house on the  
,state of the ,union1 and ordered to be 
printed