IB 

Union Calendar No. 412 

114TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4641 

[Report No. 114–536] 

To provide for the establishment of an inter-agency task force to review, 

modify, and update best practices for pain management and prescribing 

pain medication, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 26, 2016 

Mrs. BROOKS of Indiana (for herself and Mr. KENNEDY) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 

MAY 3, 2016 

Additional sponsor: Mr. OLSON

MAY 3, 2016 

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 

House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed 

[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 

[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on February 26, 2016] 


srobinson on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
2 

•HR 4641 RH

A BILL 

To provide for the establishment of an inter-agency task 

force to review, modify, and update best practices for 

pain management and prescribing pain medication, and 

for other purposes. 


srobinson on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 4641 RH

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. DEVELOPMENT OF BEST PRACTICES FOR THE 

4 USE OF PRESCRIPTION OPIOIDS. 

5 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section— 

6 (1) the term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary of 

7 Health and Human Services; and 

8 (2) the term ‘‘task force’’ means the Pain Man9 agement Best Practices Inter-Agency Task Force con10 vened under subsection (b). 

11 (b) INTER-AGENCY TASK FORCE.—Not later than De12 cember 14, 2018, the Secretary, in cooperation with the Sec13 retary of Veterans Affairs, the Secretary of Defense, and the 

14 Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration, 

15 shall convene a Pain Management Best Practices Inter16 Agency Task Force to review, modify, and update, as ap17 propriate, best practices for pain management (including 

18 chronic and acute pain) and prescribing pain medication. 

19 (c) MEMBERSHIP.—The task force shall be comprised 

20 of— 

21 (1) representatives of— 

22 (A) the Department of Health and Human 

23 Services; 

24 (B) the Department of Veterans Affairs; 

25 (C) the Food and Drug Administration; 


srobinson on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
4 

•HR 4641 RH

1 (D) the Department of Defense; 

2 (E) the Drug Enforcement Administration; 

3 (F) the Centers for Disease Control and 

4 Prevention; 

5 (G) the Health Resources and Services Ad6 ministration; 

7 (H) the Indian Health Service; 

8 (I) the National Academy of Medicine; 

9 (J) the National Institutes of Health; 

10 (K) the Office of National Drug Control 

11 Policy; and 

12 (L) the Substance Abuse and Mental Health 

13 Services Administration; 

14 (2) State medical boards; 

15 (3) physicians, dentists, and nonphysician pre16 scribers; 

17 (4) hospitals; 

18 (5) pharmacists and pharmacies; 

19 (6) experts in the fields of pain research and ad20 diction research; 

21 (7) representatives of— 

22 (A) pain management professional organi23 zations; 

24 (B) the mental health treatment commu25 nity; 


srobinson on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
5 

•HR 4641 RH

1 (C) the addiction treatment and recovery 

2 community; 

3 (D) pain advocacy groups; and 

4 (E) groups with expertise on overdose rever5 sal; 

6 (8) a person in recovery from addiction to medi7 cation for chronic pain; 

8 (9) a person with chronic pain; and 

9 (10) other stakeholders, as the Secretary deter10 mines appropriate. 

11 (d) DUTIES.—The task force shall— 

12 (1) not later than 180 days after the date on 

13 which the task force is convened under subsection (b), 

14 review, modify, and update, as appropriate, best 

15 practices for pain management (including chronic 

16 and acute pain) and prescribing pain medication, 

17 taking into consideration— 

18 (A) existing pain management research; 

19 (B) recommendations from relevant con20 ferences and existing relevant evidence-based 

21 guidelines; 

22 (C) ongoing efforts at the State and local 

23 levels and by medical professional organizations 

24 to develop improved pain management strategies, 

25 including consideration of differences within and 


srobinson on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
6 

•HR 4641 RH

1 between classes of opioids, the availability of 

2 opioids with abuse deterrent technology, and 

3 pharmacological, nonpharmacological, and med4 ical device alternatives to opioids to reduce 

5 opioid monotherapy in appropriate cases; 

6 (D) the management of high-risk popu7 lations, other than populations who suffer pain, 

8 who— 

9 (i) may use or be prescribed 

10 benzodiazepines, alcohol, and diverted 

11 opioids; or 

12 (ii) receive opioids in the course of 

13 medical care; and 

14 (E) the 2016 Guideline for Prescribing 

15 Opioids for Chronic Pain issued by the Centers 

16 for Disease Control and Prevention; 

17 (2) solicit and take into consideration public 

18 comment on the practices developed under paragraph 

19 (1), amending such best practices if appropriate; and 

20 (3) develop a strategy for disseminating informa21 tion about the best practices developed under para22 graphs (1) and (2) to prescribers, pharmacists, State 

23 medical boards, educational institutions that educate 

24 prescribers and pharmacists, and other parties, as the 

25 Secretary determines appropriate. 


srobinson on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
7 

•HR 4641 RH

1 (e) LIMITATION.—The task force shall not have rule2 making authority. 

3 (f) REPORT.—Not later than 270 days after the date 

4 on which the task force is convened under subsection (b), 

5 the task force shall submit to Congress a report that in6 cludes— 

7 (1) the strategy for disseminating best practices 

8 for pain management (including chronic and acute 

9 pain) and prescribing pain medication, as developed 

10 under subsection (d); 

11 (2) the results of a feasibility study on linking 

12 the best practices described in paragraph (1) to re13 ceiving and renewing registrations under section 

14 303(f) of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 

15 823(f)); and 

16 (3) recommendations for effectively applying the 

17 best practices described in paragraph (1) to improve 

18 prescribing practices at medical facilities, including 

19 medical facilities of the Veterans Health Administra20 tion and Indian Health Service. 


srobinson on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
Union Calendar No. 412 

114TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4641 

[Report No. 114–536] 

A BILL 

To provide for the establishment of an inter-agency 

pain medication, and for other purposes. practices for pain management and prescribing task force to review, modify, and update best 

MAY 3, 2016 

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Comand ordered to be printed mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, 


srobinson on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with BILLS