I 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4903 

To direct the Comptroller General to conduct a study and submit a report 

to Congress on best practices in use by Federal departments and agencies 

to reduce opioid usage following medical procedures. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 30, 2018 

Mr. KUSTOFF of Tennessee (for himself and Mr. NORCROSS) introduced the 

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

A BILL 

To direct the Comptroller General to conduct a study and 

submit a report to Congress on best practices in use 

by Federal departments and agencies to reduce opioid 

usage following medical procedures. 

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

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Combating Opioid Mis5 use By Advancing Treatment Act of 2018’’ or the ‘‘COM6 BAT Act of 2018’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. STUDY ON BEST PRACTICES IN USE BY FEDERAL 

2 GOVERNMENT TO REDUCE OPIOID USAGE 

3 FOLLOWING MEDICAL PROCEDURES. 

4 (a) STUDY.—The Comptroller General of the United 

5 States, in consultation with the Secretary of Health and 

6 Human Services, the Secretary of Defense, the Adminis7 trator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 

8 the Director of the National Institutes of Health, and the 

9 Commissioner of Food and Drugs, shall conduct a study 

10 on best practices in use by Federal departments and agen11 cies to reduce opioid usage following a medical procedure 

12 that is conducted, funded, or otherwise supported by such 

13 departments and agencies. 

14 (b) TOPICS.—The study required by subsection (a)— 

15 (1) shall— 

16 (A) include analysis of the research that 

17 has been, and is being, conducted or supported 

18 on reducing opioid usage following medical pro19 cedures described in subsection (a); 

20 (B) disaggregate such analysis according 

21 to whether the medical procedure is a short22 term medical procedure or a long-term medical 

23 procedure; and 

24 (C) take into consideration— 

25 (i) the costs associated with using the 

26 best practices described in subsection (a) 


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1 relative to the costs of not using such best 

2 practices; and 

3 (ii) the rates of addiction to opioids 

4 associated with using the best practices de5 scribed in subsection (a) relative to the 

6 rates of addiction to opioids associated 

7 with not using such best practices; and 

8 (2) shall include analysis of— 

9 (A) gaps that have been identified by Fed10 eral officials with respect to the costs and rates 

11 described in clauses (i) and (ii) of paragraph 

12 (1)(C) relative to adult, young adult, and ado13 lescent populations; and 

14 (B) justifications offered by such officials 

15 for such gaps. 

16 (c) REPORT.—Not later than 2 years after the date 

17 of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall 

18 submit to the appropriate committees of the Congress a 

19 report containing the results of the study conducted under 

20 subsection (a), including— 

21 (1) a summary of the findings of the study; 

22 (2) recommendations based on the results of 

23 the study, including recommendations for such areas 

24 of research and legislative and administrative action 


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1 as the Comptroller General determines appropriate; 

2 and 

3 (3) recommendations on educating health care 

4 providers about the findings of the study. 

5 (d) DEFINITIONS.—In this Act: 

6 (1) The term ‘‘short-term medical procedure’’ 

7 means a medical procedure with a recovery time of 

8 less than 30 calendar days. 

9 (2) The term ‘‘long-term medical procedure’’ 

10 means a medical procedure with a recovery time of 

11 30 calendar days or more. 

Æ 


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