[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5633 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
116th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 5633
To amend title III of the Public Health Service Act to direct the
Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, to provide for a public education campaign for
the promotion outreach and education campaign to raise public awareness
of synthetic opioids.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 16, 2020
Mr. Kim (for himself and Mr. Pappas) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend title III of the Public Health Service Act to direct the
Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, to provide for a public education campaign for
the promotion outreach and education campaign to raise public awareness
of synthetic opioids.
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 ``Synthetic Opioid Danger Awareness
Act''.
SEC. 2. SYNTHETIC OPIOIDS PUBLIC AWARENESS CAMPAIGN.
Part B of title III of the Public Health Service Act is amended by
inserting after section 317T (42 U.S.C. 247b-22) the following new
section:
``SEC. 317U. SYNTHETIC OPIOIDS PUBLIC AWARENESS CAMPAIGN.
``(a) In General.--Not later than one year after the date of the
enactment of this section, the Secretary, acting through the Director
of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shall provide for
the planning and implementation of a public education campaign to raise
public awareness of synthetic opioids (including fentanyl and its
analogues). Such campaign shall include the dissemination of
information that--
``(1) promotes awareness about the potency and dangers of
fentanyl and its analogues and other synthetic opioids;
``(2) explains services provided by the Substance Abuse and
Mental Health Services Administration and the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (and any entity providing such
services under a contract entered into with such agencies) with
respect to the abuse of opioids, particularly as such services
relate to the provision of alternative, non-opioid pain
management treatments; and
``(3) relates generally to opioid use and pain management.
``(b) Use of Media.--The campaign under subsection (a) may be
implemented through the use of television, radio, internet, in-person
public communications, and other commercial marketing venues and may be
targeted to specific age groups.
``(c) Consultation.--In coordinating the campaign under subsection
(a), the Secretary, acting through the Director shall consult with the
Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use to provide
ongoing advice on the effectiveness of information disseminated through
the campaign.
``(d) Requirement of Campaign.--The campaign implemented under
subsection (a) shall not be duplicative of any other Federal efforts
relating to eliminating the abuse of opioids.
``(e) Evaluation.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary, acting through the
Director, shall ensure that the campaign implemented under
subsection (a) is subject to an independent evaluation,
beginning 2 years after the date of the enactment of this
section, and every 2 years thereafter.
``(2) Measures and benchmarks.--For purposes of an
evaluation conducted pursuant to paragraph (1), the Secretary
shall--
``(A) establish baseline measures and benchmarks to
quantitatively evaluate the impact of the campaign
under this section; and
``(B) conduct qualitative assessments regarding the
effectiveness of strategies employed under this
section.
``(f) Report.--The Secretary, acting through the Director, shall,
beginning 2 years after the date of the enactment of this section, and
every 2 years thereafter, submit to Congress a report on the
effectiveness of the campaign implemented under subsection (a) towards
meeting the measures and benchmarks established under subsection
(e)(2).
``(g) Dissemination of Information Through Providers.--The
Secretary, acting through the Director, shall develop and implement a
plan for the dissemination of information related to synthetic opioids,
to health care providers who participate in Federal programs, including
programs administered by the Department of Health and Human Services,
the Indian Health Service, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the
Department of Defense, and the Health Resources and Services
Administration, the Medicare program under title XVIII of the Social
Security Act, and the Medicaid program under title XIX of such Act.''.
SEC. 3. TRAINING GUIDE AND OUTREACH ON SYNTHETIC OPIOID EXPOSURE
PREVENTION.
(a) Training Guide.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services,
acting through the National Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health, shall design, publish, and make publicly available on the
internet website of the Institute, a training guide and webinar for
first responders and other individuals who also may be at high risk of
exposure to synthetic opioids that details measures to prevent that
exposure.
(b) Outreach.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services,
acting through the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance
Use, shall also conduct outreach about the availability of the training
guide and webinar published under subsection (a) to--
(1) police and fire managements;
(2) sheriff deputies in city and county jails;
(3) ambulance transport and hospital emergency room
personnel;
(4) clinicians; and
(5) other high-risk occupations, as identified by the
Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use.
<all>