,i  #aaf? ,,congress  #b;d ,session  ,h4
 ,r4 #eggd  ,,9 ,,! ,,h\se ,,(          
,,repres5tatives  ,febru>y #f1 #bjbj,mr4
 ,murphy ( ,nor? ,c>ol9a 7= himself &   
,mr4 ,pet]son7 introduc$ ! foll[+ bill2 
:i* 0 ref]r$ to ! ,committee on         
,vet]ans' ,affairs  ,a ,,bill  ,to      
direct ! ,secret>y ( ,vet]ans ,affairs  
to conduct a review on opioid ov]dose   
dea?s among vet]ans1 & = o!r purposes4  
#a4 ,%ort title ,?is ,act may be cit$ z 
! ,vet]ans ,h]o9 ,ov]dose ,prev5tion    
,exam9ation ,act or ! ,vet]ans ,,hope   
,act4  #b4 ,f9d+s2 s5se ( ,congress  7a7
 ,f9d+s ,congress f9ds ! foll[+3  7#a7  
,new rese>* %[s t a dramatic rise 9     
opioid ov]dose dea?s among vet]ans 9    
rec5t ye>s has happ5$ increas+ly among  
vet]ans dy+ f h]o9 & syn!tic opioids4   
7#b7 ,fur!rmore1 pati5ts ( ! ,vet]ans   
,heal? ,adm9i/ration ( ! ,dep>tm5t (    
,vet]ans ,affairs are sev5 m times      
likely to suff] f an opioid use disord] 
?an comm]cially insur$ pati5ts4  7#c7   
,us+ records ( ! ,vet]ans ,heal?        

,adm9i/ration l9k$ to ,national ,dea?   
,index data1 ! vet]ans' rate ( ov]dose  
dea?s f all opioids increas$ by #fe     
p]c5t f #bjaj to #bjaf1 a rate *ange t  
includes adju/m5ts = demographic *anges 
9 ! vet]an population ov] "t4  7#d7     
,fur!rmore1 among all opioid ov]dose    
dec$5ts1 prescription opioid receipt )9 
?ree mon?s be=e dea? decl9$ f #ed p]c5t 
9 #bjaj to #bf p]c5t 9 #bjaf1 yet vet]an
 ov]doses result+ 9 dea? f h]o91 syn!tic
 opioids su* z f5tanyl1 &               
nonprescription opioids /ill occurr$4   
7#e7 ,9 fact1 betwe5 #bjaj & #bjaf1 !   
vet]an dea? rate f h]o9 or f tak+       
multiple opioids almo/ qu9tupl$ & ! dea?
 rate f syn!tic opioids su* z f5tanyl   
increas$ by m ?an five-fold4  7#f7      
,tr5ds w\ld sugge/ t1 :ile ! aggregate  
rise 9 opioid ov]dose dea?s among       
vet]ans p>allel ^? se5 9 ! g5]al        
population1 ! increase occurr$ ma9ly    
because ( a rise 9 dea?s f nonprescrib$ 
s\rces su* z h]o91 f5tanyl1 o!r p[]ful  
syn!tic opioids1 or multiple opioids 9  

concurr5t use4  7b7 ,s5se ( ,congress ,x
 is ! s5se ( ,congress t fur!r vet]ans  
ov]dose prev5tion ef=ts & rese>* %\ld   
ext5d beyond pati5ts actively receiv+   
opioid prescriptions4  #c4 ,review (    
dea?s ( vet]ans relat+ to opioid use    
7a7 ,review ,n lat] ?an #ah mon?s aft] !
 date ( ! enactm5t ( ?is ,act1 !        
,secret>y ( ,vet]ans ,affairs %all      
complete a review ( ! dea?s ( all cov]$ 
vet]ans :o di$ f opioid ov]doses dur+ ! 
five-ye> p]iod prec$+ ! date ( !        
enactm5t = ?is ,act4  7b7 ,matt]s       
includ$ ,! review "u subsection 7a7 %all
 include ! foll[+3 7#a7 ,! total numb] (
 cov]$ vet]ans :o di$ f opioid ov]doses 
dur+ ! five-ye> p]iod prec$+ ! date ( ! 
enactm5t ( ?is ,act4  7#b7 ,a summ>y (  
su* vet]ans t includes ! age1 sex1 &    
race1 & e?nicity ( ea* su* vet]an4  7#c7
 ,a compreh5sive li/ ( ! m$ications     
prescrib$ to1 & f\nd 9 ! bodies (1 su*  
vet]ans at ! "t ( dea?1 specifically    
li/+ any m$ications t c>ry a black box  
w>n+1 are (f-label1 or are psy*otropic4 

7#d7 ,a summ>y ( m$ical diagnoses by    
physicians ( ! ,dep>tm5t ( ,vet]ans     
,affairs t l$ to any prescrib+ ( !      
m$ications ref]r$ to 9 p>agraph 7#c74   
7#e7 ,! numb] ( in/ances 9 :i* su* a    
vet]an 0 concurr5tly on multiple        
m$ications prescrib$ by physicians ( !  
,dep>tm5t4  7#f7 ,a summ>y (-- 7,a7 !   
av]age p]iod t elaps$ betwe5 ! la/      
prescription opioid receipt & ! date ( !
 dea? ( su* a vet]an2 &  7,b7 ! cause ( 
dea? = ea* su* vet]an4  7#g7 ,! p]c5tage
 ( su* vet]ans ) combat exp]i5ce or     
trauma 7includ+ milit>y sexual trauma1  
traumatic bra9 injury1 & po/-traumatic  
/ress74  7#h7 ,id5tification ( m$ical   
facilities ( ! ,dep>tm5t ) high         
prescription & drug abuse treatm5t rates
 = pati5ts be+ treat$ at ^? facilities4 
7#i7 ,a description ( policies ( !      
,dep>tm5t gov]n+ ! prescrib+ (          
m$ications ref]r$ to 9 p>agraph 7#c74   
7#aj7 ,a description ( ef=ts by !       
,secret>y to electronically track1      
collect1 & prop]ly dispose (            

prescription opioids t are ei!r unus$1  
pa/ ! prescription date1 or n 9 !       
possession ( ! prop]ly prescrib$ pati5t4
  7#aa7 ,a description ( any patt]ns    
app>5t to ! ,secret>y bas$ on ! review4 
7#ab7 ,recomm5dations = fur!r action t  
w\ld improve ! safety & well-be+ (      
vet]ans & r$uce opioid ov]dose rates =  
vet]ans1 especially conc]n+ rese>*      
reg>d+ su* vet]ans :o _h n fil$ = a     
opioid prescription 9 ! ?ree mon?s be=e 
dea? by ov]dose4  7c7 ,public           
availability ,n lat] ?an #de days aft] !
 completion ( ! review "u subsection    
7a71 ! ,secret>y %all--  7#a7 submit to 
,congress a report on ! results ( !     
review2  7#b7 make su* report publicly  
available2 &  7#c7 provide to !         
,committees on ,vet]ans' ,affairs ( !   
,h\se ( ,repres5tatives & ! ,s5ate a    
brief+ on su* review4  7d7 ,def9itions  
,9 ?is section3 7#a7 ,! t]m black box   
w>n+ means a w>n+ display$ )9 a box 9 ! 
prescrib+ in=mation = drugs t h special 
problems1 p>ticul>ly ones t may lead to 

dea? or s]i\s injury4  7#b7 ,! t]m cov]$
 vet]an means any vet]an :o receiv$     
hospital c>e or m$ical s]vices furni%$  
by ! ,dep>tm5t ( ,vet]ans ,affairs dur+ 
! five-ye> p]iod prec$+ ! dea? ( !      
vet]an4