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House Subcommittee Approves Legislation to Curb Opioid Abuse

On April 20, the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health approved, by voice vote, several bills, including H.R. 3691, the Improving Treatment for Pregnant and Postpartum Women Act, and H.R. 4978, the Nurturing and Supporting Healthy Babies Act.

The House is likely to package the twelve bills approved by the subcommittee with H.R. 953, the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act. The Senate approved its version of the legislation, S. 524, on March 10 (see The Source, 3/11/16).

H.R. 3691

Sponsored by Rep. Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), the bill would authorize $40 million annually for FY2016-2020 to establish a pilot program to support and strengthen family-based services for pregnant and postpartum women who have been diagnosed with substance abuse disorders, including opioid disorders.

H.R. 4978

The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Evan Jenkins (R-WV), would require the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to report on neonatal abstinence syndrome in the United States and its treatment under Medicaid.