Surveillance and Testing of Opioids to Prevent Fentanyl Deaths Act of 2018 or the STOP Fentanyl Deaths Act of 2018
This bill establishes and expands programs to support increased detection and monitoring of fentanyl and other synthetic opioids, and also establishes a pilot program for point-of-use testing of illicit drugs for dangerous contaminants.
[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5580 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
115th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 5580
To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct
programs to address the usage of illicit drugs, particularly fentanyl,
and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 23, 2018
Ms. Kuster of New Hampshire (for herself, Mr. MacArthur, Mr. Jenkins of
West Virginia, and Mr. Norcross) introduced the following bill; which
was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct
programs to address the usage of illicit drugs, particularly fentanyl,
and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Surveillance and Testing of Opioids
to Prevent Fentanyl Deaths Act of 2018'' or the ``STOP Fentanyl Deaths
Act of 2018''.
SEC. 2. PUBLIC HEALTH LABORATORIES TO DETECT FENTANYL.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services (in
this section referred to as the ``Secretary'') shall establish a
program to award grants to Federal, State, and local agencies for the
establishment or operation of public health laboratories to detect
fentanyl, its analogues, and other synthetic opioids, as described in
subsection (b).
(b) Standards.--The Secretary, acting through the Assistant
Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, and in consultation with
the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology,
shall--
(1) develop standards for effectively handling and testing
fentanyl, its analogues, and other synthetic opioids; and
(2) include in such standards procedures for encountering
new and emerging synthetic opioid formulations and reporting
those findings to other Federal, State, and local public health
laboratories.
(c) Laboratories.--Each public health laboratory funded under
subsection (a) shall--
(1) agree to follow the standards established under
subsection (b) and be capable of providing systematic and
routine laboratory testing of drugs for the purposes of
obtaining and disseminating public health information to
Federal, State, and local public health officials,
laboratories, and other entities the Secretary deems
appropriate;
(2) work with law enforcement agencies and public health
authorities to develop real-time information on the purity and
movement of fentanyl, its analogues, and other synthetic
opioids;
(3) assist State and local law enforcement agencies in
testing seized drugs when State and local forensic laboratories
request additional assistance; and
(4) provide early warning information and advice to
Federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies and public
health authorities of potential significant changes in the
supply of fentanyl, its analogues, and other synthetic opioids.
(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--To carry out this section,
there is authorized to be appropriated $15,000,000 for each of fiscal
years 2018 through 2022.
SEC. 3. ENHANCED FENTANYL SURVEILLANCE.
(a) In General.--The Director of the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention shall enhance its drug surveillance program by--
(1) expanding its surveillance program to include all 50
States and the territories of the United States;
(2) increasing and accelerating the collection of data on
fentanyl, its analogues, and other synthetic opioids, including
related overdose data from medical examiners and drug treatment
admissions; and
(3) utilizing available and emerging information on
fentanyl, its analogues, and other synthetic opioids,
including--
(A) the National Drug Early Warning System;
(B) State and local public health authorities; and
(C) Federal, State, and local public health
laboratories.
(b) Authorization of Appropriations.--To carry out this section,
there is authorized to be appropriated $10,000,000 for each of fiscal
years 2018 through 2022.
SEC. 4. PILOT PROGRAM FOR POINT-OF-USE TESTING OF ILLICIT DRUGS FOR
DANGEROUS CONTAMINANTS.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting
through the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, in
coordination with the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, shall--
(1) establish a pilot program through which 5 State or
local agencies conduct, in 5 States, point-of-use testing of
illicit drugs for dangerous contaminants;
(2) establish metrics to evaluate the success of the pilot
program in reducing drug overdose rates; and
(3) based on such metrics, conduct an annual evaluation of
the pilot program and submit an annual report to the Congress
containing the results of such evaluation.
(b) Authorization of Appropriations.--To carry out this section,
there is authorized to be appropriated $5,000,000 for each of fiscal
years 2018 through 2022.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
Ordered to be Reported by Voice Vote.
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