,i  #aaeth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #egjb  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,may #h1 #bjah,mrs4  
,bustos 7for herself1 ,mr4 ,ben ,ray    
,lujn of ,new ,mexico1 and ,ms4         
,de,gette7 introduced the following     
bill2 which was referred to the         
,committee on ,energy and ,commerce  ,a 
,,bill  ,to require the ,secretary of   
,health and ,human ,services to develop 
a strategy implementing recommendations 
relating to the ,protecting ,our        
,infants ,act of #bjae1 and for other   
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,preventing ,,nas   
and ,protecting ,babies ,act4  #b4      
,findings ,congress finds the following3
  7#a7 ,neonatal abstinence syndrome    
7referred to in this section as ,,nas7  
is a group of conditions that can       
afflict a newborn who had in utero      
exposure to drugs1 including opioids4   
7#b7 ,according to a report by the      
,government ,accountability ,office1    
symptoms of ,,nas include irritability1 

loud crying1 stiffness1 sweating1       
vomiting1 diarrhea1 poor feeding1       
seizures1 and respiratory distress4     
7#c7 ,according to a #bjaf study by the 
,centers for ,disease ,control and      
,prevention1 which was based on data    
from #bh ,states1 the incidence of ,,nas
 increased #cjj percent between #aiii   
and #bjac4  7#d7 ,according to another  
study entitled1 ,neonatal abstinence    
syndrome and associated health care     
expenditures3 ,united ,states1          
#bjjj-bjji1 the incidence rate of ,,nas 
in rural ,america rose from #a4b per    
#a1jjj hospital births in #bjjd to #g4e 
per #a1jjj hospital births in #bjac4    
7#e7 ,innovative1 specialized1 and      
collaborative efforts are needed to     
address the treatment of infants        
diagnosed with ,,nas4  7#f7 ,the        
,comprehensive ,addiction and ,recovery 
,act of #bjaf 7,public ,law #aad-aih71  
which was enacted in ,july #bjaf1       
required the ,government ,accountability
 ,office to examine treatment options   

for infants with ,,nas 7including       
options available under ,state ,medicaid
 plans under title ,,xix of the ,social 
,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acif et  
seq4771 assesses different medical care 
models and settings for the treatment of
 ,,nas1 and prioritizes finding best    
practices for the treatment of infants  
with ,,nas4  7#g7 ,an ,october #bjag    
report by the ,government               
,accountability ,office entitled1       
8,federal ,action ,needed to ,address   
,neonatal ,abstinence ,syndrome01       
recommended that the ,department of     
,health and ,human ,services should take
 action on its report entitled1         
,protecting ,our ,infants ,act3 ,final  
,strategy4  #c4 ,strategy implementing  
recommendations relating to ,protecting 
,our ,infants ,act ,not later than six  
months after the date of the enactment  
of this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,health 
and ,human ,services shall submit to    
,congress a strategy for implementing   
recommendations in the ,department of   

,health and ,human ,services ,behavioral
 ,health ,coordinating ,council report  
entitled1 ,protecting ,our ,infants     
,act3 ,final ,strategy4 ,such strategy  
shall--  7#a7 include a timeline for the
 implementation of each such            
recommendation2  7#b7 provide for the   
dissemination of information to ,state  
health agencies on best practices and   
available resources and data with       
respect to implementing each such       
recommendation2 and  7#c7 include       
recommendations for any statutory       
change1 including providing for         
additional authorities1 that would help 
the ,department of ,health and ,human   
,services implement the strategy4