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118th Congress Health

H.R. 1359: Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act

Introduced

  1. Introduced (completed)Mar 3, 2023
  2. Passed House (not reached)
  3. Passed Senate (not reached)
  4. To the President (not reached)
  5. Became law (not reached)

Summary

Introduced in House, Mar 3, 2023

This bill expands access to methadone for an individual's unsupervised use to treat opioid use disorder (OUD). (Typically, methadone must be dispensed to individuals in person through opioid treatment programs.)

The bill (1) waives provisions of the Controlled Substances Act that require qualified practitioners to obtain a separate registration from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to prescribe and dispense methadone to treat OUD, and (2) requires the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the DEA to jointly report on the waiver.

Additionally, the bill directs the DEA to register certain practitioners to prescribe methadone that is dispensed through a pharmacy for an individual's unsupervised use. Qualified practitioners must be licensed or authorized to prescribe controlled substances, and they must either work for an opioid treatment program or be a physician or psychiatrist with a specialty certification in addiction medicine. A state may request that the DEA stop registering such practitioners in its jurisdiction.

Read the full summary

Individuals who receive methadone for unsupervised use must continue to have access to other care through an opioid treatment program.

For purposes of the waiver, the bill also requires the exclusive use of electronic prescribing, establishes prescription limits, and sets out requirements for informed consent. Further, the bill permits the use of telehealth to provide methadone treatment and related services if the state and the Department of Health and Human Services jointly determine the use is feasible and appropriate.

Written by the Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress.

Roll calls

0 votes on this bill

No roll call votes have been held on this bill.

Amendments

0 offered

No amendments were offered to this bill.

Cosponsors

70

Bipartisan support.

Who scored on this bill

18 points earned
  1. 1Donald Norcross D-NJ SponsorDrew cross-party cosponsors, introduced, reached a cosponsor milestone4 events+18
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Introductions and cosponsorships count toward weekly caps and show no points.

Other bills by Donald Norcross

History

  1. Mar 3, 2023Introduced in the House by Donald Norcross.
Show the full action history (3 actions)
  1. Mar 10, 2023Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
  2. Mar 3, 2023Introduced in House
  3. Mar 3, 2023Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.