I 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1375 

To amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary of Health 

of Human Services to award grants to States (or collaborations of States) 

to establish, expand, or maintain a comprehensive regional, State, or 

municipal system to provide training, education, consultation, and other 

resources to prescribers relating to patient pain, substance misuse, and 

substance abuse disorders, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 7, 2017 

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts (for herself and Mr. JENKINS of West Virginia) 

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

A BILL 

To amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize the 

Secretary of Health of Human Services to award grants 

to States (or collaborations of States) to establish, expand, or maintain a comprehensive regional, State, or 

municipal system to provide training, education, consultation, and other resources to prescribers relating to 

patient pain, substance misuse, and substance abuse disorders, and for other purposes. 

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


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Prescriber Support Act 

3 of 2017’’. 

4 SEC. 2. RESOURCES FOR PRESCRIBERS ON PATIENT PAIN, 

5 SUBSTANCE MISUSE, AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE 

6 DISORDERS. 

7 The Public Health Service Act is amended by insert8 ing after section 399O of such Act (42 U.S.C. 280g–3) 

9 the following: 

10 ‘‘SEC. 399O–1. RESOURCES FOR PRESCRIBERS ON PATIENT 

11 PAIN, SUBSTANCE MISUSE, AND SUBSTANCE 

12 ABUSE DISORDERS. 

13 ‘‘(a) GRANTS.—The Secretary may award grants to 

14 States (or collaborations of States) to establish, expand, 

15 or maintain a comprehensive regional, State, or municipal 

16 system to provide training, education, consultation, and 

17 other resources to enable prescribers— 

18 ‘‘(1) to effectively and appropriately treat and 

19 manage patient pain; and 

20 ‘‘(2) to prevent, identify, and respond to patient 

21 substance misuse and substance abuse disorders. 

22 ‘‘(b) SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION.—A system funded 

23 through this section may provide the training, education, 

24 consultation, and other resources described in subsection 

25 (a) directly or through a professional association, an instiVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:56 Mar 11, 2017 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1375.IH H1375

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1 tution of higher education, a nonprofit organization, or an2 other appropriate entity. 

3 ‘‘(c) NUMBER.—Subject to the availability of appro4 priations, the Secretary shall make grants under this sec5 tion to not fewer than 3 States (or collaborations of 

6 States). 

7 ‘‘(d) PRIORITY.—In making grants under this sec8 tion, the Secretary shall give priority to applications to 

9 States (or collaborations of States) demonstrating the 

10 greatest lack of, and need for, the training, education, con11 sultation, and other resources described in subsection (a). 

12 ‘‘(e) EVALUATION.—Not later than 3 years after the 

13 date on which a State (or collaboration of States) receives 

14 a grant under this section, the State (or collaboration) 

15 shall submit to the Secretary an evaluation of the extent 

16 to which the system funded through the grant has been 

17 effective in— 

18 ‘‘(1) improving the treatment and management 

19 of pain; and 

20 ‘‘(2) preventing, identifying, and responding to 

21 substance misuse and substance abuse disorders. 

22 ‘‘(f) MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS.—To be eligible for 

23 assistance under this section, a system described in sub24 section (a) shall include— 


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1 ‘‘(1) a peer-to-peer consultation program that 

2 enables prescribers to receive real-time expert con3 sultation (in person or remotely) with a pain or ad4 diction specialist to aid in the individualized treat5 ment and management of patient pain and in re6 sponding to patients who are exhibiting signs of sub7 stance misuse or substance abuse disorders; 

8 ‘‘(2) coordination with community-based re9 sources and services, including mental health and 

10 substance abuse resources, pain and addiction spe11 cialists, primary care resources, and support groups; 

12 and 

13 ‘‘(3) a dedicated website to collect and dissemi14 nate information for prescribers, including— 

15 ‘‘(A) information on the consultation pro16 gram under paragraph (1); 

17 ‘‘(B) a detailed and continuously updated 

18 guide to the community-based resources and 

19 services identified and coordinated under para20 graph (2), including information on the services 

21 provided and the populations served; and 

22 ‘‘(C) appropriate training and educational 

23 materials, such as appropriate prescribing 

24 guidelines and information on the treatment 

25 and management of chronic pain, alternatives 


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1 to opioid-based pain treatment, substance abuse 

2 screening, and follow-up support. 

3 ‘‘(g) APPLICATION.—To seek a grant under this sec4 tion, a State (or collaboration of States) shall submit an 

5 application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, 

6 and containing such information as the Secretary may re7 quire. 

8 ‘‘(h) PRESCRIBER DEFINED.—In this section, the 

9 term ‘prescriber’ means a health care professional author10 ized under State law to prescribe drugs. 

11 ‘‘(i) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—To 

12 carry out this section, there is authorized to be appro13 priated $15,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2018 through 

14 2022.’’. 

Æ 


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