Press Releases

Congressman Jim Banks (IN-03) today released the following statement on efforts in Congress to combat the opioid crisis:

“In 2016, 1,526 Hoosiers died of an opioid overdose. This is a crisis, and it’s destroying families and communities across the country. This is why Congress is taking serious steps to combat the opioid epidemic.

“In the House, we’ve passed more than 30 pieces of legislation this week that address four critical steps to ending this epidemic: treatment and recovery, prevention, protecting communities, and fighting fentanyl.

“I am committed to doing my part in Congress to give state and local officials the resources needed to help Hoosiers fight back.”

The legislation passed in the House this week includes:

• HR 2147 — Veterans Treatment Court Improvement Act
• Requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to hire at least 50 Veterans Justice Outreach Specialists, place each one at an eligible VA medical center, and ensure that each one serves as part of a justice team in a veterans treatment court or other veteran-focused court.
• HR 4275 — Empowering Pharmacists in the Fight Against Opioid Abuse Act
• Will empower pharmacists to better detect fraudulent opioid prescriptions.
• HR 4284 — Indexing Narcotics, Fentanyl and Opioids (INFO) Act
• Requires HHS to create a dashboard of every initiative and strategy in the country being used to combat the opioid crisis.
• HR 449 — Synthetic Drug Awareness Act
• Requires the Surgeon General to provide a report to Congress on the public health effects of synthetic drug use among those ages 12-18.
• HR 4635 — Peer-2-Peer Counseling Act
• Requires the VA to emphasize appointing peer support counselors for women veterans.
• HR 4684 — Ensuring Access to Quality Sober Living Act
• Authorizes Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to determine best practices for operating recovery housing for those fighting addiction.
• HR 5002 — ACE Research Act
• Gives the National Institutes of Health (NIH) more flexibility to perform research on non-addictive pain medications.
• HR 5009 — Jessie's Law
• Directs HHS to determine best practices on display of substance use disorder history in medical records provided to a former health care provider.
• HR 5176 — Preventing Overdoses While in Emergency Rooms (POWER) Act
• Provides resources for hospitals to develop best practices for discharging opioid overdose patients.
• HR 5197 — Alternatives to Opioids (ALTO) in the Emergency Department Act
• Authorizes a program to test alternative pain management techniques in emergency departments.
• HR 5261 — TEACH to Combat Addiction Act
• Directs the Secretary of HHS to designate regional Centers of Excellence to enhance and improve how health professionals are educated in substance abuse disorder prevention, treatment, and recovery through development, evaluation, and distribution of evidence-based curricula for health profession schools.
• HR 5272 — Reinforcing Evidence-based Standards Under Law in Treating Substance Abuse (RESULTS) Act
• Directs SAMHSA to provide guidance on best practices for applying for SUD and mental illness grants.
• HR 5294 — Treating Barriers to Prosperity Act
• Authorizes the Appalachian Regional Commission to support projects that combat opioid addiction.
• HR 5327 — Comprehensive Opioid Recovery Centers Act
• Establishes Comprehensive Opioid Recovery Centers (CORCs) to serve as models for prevention, treatment and recovery.
• HR 5329 —  Poison Center Network Enhancement Act
• Reauthorizes the Poison Control Centers network, which offer 24-hour medical advice and help to reduce emergency room visits through at-home treatment.
• HR 5353 — Eliminating Opioid-Related Infectious Diseases Act
• Calls for CDC to establish an injection drug-use associated infection elimination initiative.
• HR 5473 — Better Pain Management Through Better Data Act
• Requires the Food and Drug Administration to hold a public meeting and develop best practices regarding data collection and labeling for medical products that reduce pain and may replace, delay, or reduce the use of oral opioids.
• HR 5483 — Special Registration for Telemedicine Clarification Act
• Sets a deadline for the DEA to develop regulations for the special registration of practitioners to practice telemedicine.
• HR 5582 — Abuse Deterrent Access Act
• Requires CMS to determine whether there is adequate access to abuse-deterrent opioid formulations for those enrolled in Medicare and Medicare Advantage.
• HR 5583 —Requiring Medicaid Programs to Report on All Core Behavioral Health Measures
• Requires CMS to expand its core set of adult health quality measures for Medicaid-eligible adults to include measures specific to behavioral health.
• HR 5587 — Peer Support Communities of Recovery Act
• Builds on the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act’s (CARA’s) Building Communities of Recovery Program, awarding grants to peer support organizations for operating recovery services.
• HR 5685 — Medicare Opioid Safety Education Act
• Requires that CMS provide educational resources to Medicare enrollees on opioid use, pain management and alternative pain management options.
• HR 5752 — Stop Illicit Drug Importation Act
• Gives the FDA new authority detain, refuse, seize, or destroy illegal products offered for import.
• HR 5800 — Medicaid IMD ADDITIONAL INFO Act
• Requires that the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC) study institutions for mental disease (IMD) participating in the Medicaid program.
• HR 5812 —Creating Opportunities the Necessitate New and Enhanced Connections That Improve Opioid Navigation Strategies (CONNECTIONS) Act
• Authorizes the CDC to take actions necessary to improve state-run drug monitoring programs
• HR 5889 — Recognizing Early Childhood Trauma Related to Substance Abuse Act
• Requires HHS to combat childhood trauma related to opioid abuse by providing resources to early childcare providers, educators and other professionals working with children affected by a family members opioid abuse.
• HR 5890 — Assisting States' Implementation of Plans of Safe Care Act
• Requires HHS to ensure that infants affected by opioid abuse receive proper care.
• HR 5891 — Improving the Federal Response to Families Impacted by Substance Use Disorder Act
• Establishes a task force to develop a strategy on how federal agencies can implement a coordinated approach to responding to the opioid epidemic.
• HR 5892 — Creation of Advisory Committee to advise the Secretary of Labor regarding opioid abuse impacts on the workforce
• Establishes an advisory committee to advise the Secretary of Labor on actions the Department can take to address the impact of opioid abuse on the workplace.

 

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