,,ii  #aaeth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #bffa  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,april #ab1    
#bjah ,ms4 ,warren 7for herself1 ,mr4   
,rubio1 ,ms4 ,hassan1 and ,ms4 ,collins7
 introduced the following bill2 which   
was read twice and referred to the      
,committee on the ,judiciary  ,a ,,bill 
,to amend the ,controlled ,substances   
,act to allow hospice providers to      
dispose of leftover prescription        
medications1 and for other purposes4    
#a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited
 as the ,hospice ,safe ,drug ,disposal  
,act of #bjah4  #b4 ,disposal of        
controlled substances of a deceased     
hospice patient by employees of a       
hospice program  7a7 ,in general        
,section #cjb7;g7 of the ,controlled    
,substances ,act 7#ba ,u4,s4,c4         
#hbb7;g77 is amended by adding at the   
end the following3  7#e7 7,a7 ,an       
employee of a qualified hospice program 
acting within the scope of employment   
may handle1 in the place of residence of

 a hospice patient1 any controlled      
substance that was lawfully dispensed to
 the hospice patient1 for the purpose of
 assisting in the disposal of the       
controlled substance after the hospice  
patient's death4  7,b7 ,in this         
paragraph3 7i7 ,the term employee of a  
qualified hospice program means a person
 7including a physician1 nurse1 or      
physician assistant7 who--  7,i7 is     
employed by1 or pursuant to arrangements
 made by1 a qualified hospice program2  
and  7,,ii7 is licensed or certified to 
perform such employment in accordance   
with applicable ,state law4  7ii7 ,the  
terms hospice care and hospice program  
have the meanings given those terms in  
section #ahfa7;dd7 of the ,social       
,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4           
#aciex7dd774  7iii7 ,the term hospice   
patient means an individual receiving   
hospice care4  7iv7 ,the term qualified 
hospice program means a hospice program 
that--  7,i7 has written policies and   
procedures for assisting in the disposal

 of the controlled substances of a      
hospice patient after the hospice       
patient's death2  7,,ii7 at the time    
when the controlled substances are first
 ordered--  7aa7 provides a copy of the 
written policies and procedures to the  
hospice patient or hospice patient      
representative and the family of the    
hospice patient2  7bb7 discusses the    
policies and procedures with the hospice
 patient or hospice patient             
representative and the family in a      
language and manner that those          
individuals understand to ensure that   
those individuals are educated regarding
 the safe disposal of controlled        
substances2 and  7cc7 documents in the  
clinical record of the hospice patient  
that the written policies and procedures
 were provided and discussed2 and       
7,,iii7 at the time when an employee of 
the hospice program assists in the      
disposal of controlled substances of a  
hospice patient1 documents in the       
clinical record of the hospice patient  

all disposed controlled substances4  4  
7b7 ,guidance ,not later than #ij days  
after the date of enactment of this     
,act1 and after providing notice and    
opportunity for public comment1 the     
,attorney ,general shall issue guidance 
to hospice programs to assist the       
programs in satisfying the requirements 
under paragraph 7#e7 of section #cjb7;g7
 of the ,controlled ,substances ,act    
7#ba ,u4,s4,c4 #hbb7;g771 as added by   
subsection 7a74  #c4 ,,gao study and    
report on hospice safe drug management  
7a7 ,study  7#a7 ,in general ,the       
,comptroller ,general of the ,united    
,states 7in this section referred to as 
the ,comptroller ,general7 shall conduct
 a study on the requirements applicable 
to and challenges of hospice programs   
with regard to the management and       
disposal of controlled substances in the
 home of an individual4  7#b7 ,contents 
,in conducting the study under paragraph
 7#a71 the ,comptroller ,general shall  
include-- 7,a7 an overview of challenges

 encountered by hospice programs        
regarding the disposal of controlled    
substances1 such as opioids1 in a home  
setting1 including any key changes in   
disposal of controlled substances over  
time2 and  7,b7 a description of        
,federal requirements1 including        
requirements under the ,medicare        
program1 for hospice programs regarding 
the disposal of controlled substances in
 a home setting1 and oversight of       
compliance with those requirements4  7b7
 ,report ,not later than #ah months     
after the date of enactment of this     
,act1 the ,comptroller ,general shall   
submit to ,congress a report containing 
the results of the study conducted under
 subsection 7a71 together with          
recommendations1 if any1 for such       
legislation and administrative action as
 the ,comptroller ,general determines   
appropriate4