Representative Noyes and Santangelo

H.R.

116th Congress
First Session
In the United States House of Representatives

The Bipartisan Opioid Abuse Prevention Act

A Bill to increase partnership between the State and Federal governments, as well as
increase funding options dedicated to ending the opioid epidemic.

Whereas​ the average number of opioid overdose deaths in the US is 14.9 per 100,000 people,
but as many as 24 states have a higher death rate, with the highest, West Virginia, having 43.4 in
2016.
Whereas ​the opioid epidemic costs our country $78.5 billion dollars annually.
Whereas ​many states have extremely high prescription rates, indicating that opioids are being
prescribed in situations that they are not needed.
Whereas​ states with some of the highest death rates, like Massachusetts with 29.3, have some of
the lowest prescription rates, Massachusetts prescribes opioids 59.9 people out of 100 patients.
This indicates that our citizens are acquiring the opioids illegally.
Whereas ​47,000 Americans died of opioid overdose in 2017, with nearly half of those deaths
stemming from prescription opioids.
Whereas ​only 49 states have Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs.
Whereas ​only 47% of US counties have physicians who can prescribe effective drugs to
stabilize patients who withdraw from opioids.
Whereas ​the current funding that states receive from the federal government generally goes
towards providing treatment to people who are already suffering from addiction, rather than
attacking the flow of opioids.
Whereas​ the opioid crisis has contributed to an increase in hepatitis C and HIV.
Whereas​ drug abuse prevention is a bipartisan issue.

Be it hereby enacted, the House of Representatives shall:

(1) Establish bi-yearly​ ​meetings between the FSMB and the Office of Inspector General to:
(a) Develop stricter laws as to when opiods can be prescribed
(b) Require an annual report to be published by the Inspector General and FSMB and
presented to Congress and the DHSA about recommended policies to eliminate
improper RXs of opioids
(2) Establish a state formula grant that follows the following provisions
(a) The algorithm in the formula grant will be affected by the following:
Representative Noyes and Santangelo

(i) Current rate of state population affected by opioid hospitalization,

overdose, and abuse respectively
(ii) Statistical risk of a state to become affected
(iii) Historical per-state number of opioid deaths
(iv) Rate of Rxs prescribed by doctors to patients by state
(b) This will be reassessed bi-yearly
(c) This formula includes United States territories
(d) Grants will be assessed by Senate and The Dept of Substance Abuse and Mental
Health Services Administration
(e) 8% of funding allocated to the states has to be distributed to the upkeep and
creation of rehabilitation centers.