I 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4888 

To provide for the identification and dissemination of best practices for 

medical professionals and other health care providers relative to neonatal 

abstinence syndrome, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 18, 2014 

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts (for herself and Mr. STIVERS) introduced the 

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

A BILL 

To provide for the identification and dissemination of best 

practices for medical professionals and other health care 

providers relative to neonatal abstinence syndrome, 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, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Coordinated Recovery 

5 Initiative for Babies Act of 2014’’ or the ‘‘CRIB Act of 

6 2014’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. IDENTIFICATION, TREATMENT, AND SURVEILLANCE 

2 OF NEONATAL ABSTINENCE SYNDROME. 

3 (a) STUDY.—The Secretary of Health and Human 

4 Services (in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Secretary’’) shall 

5 conduct a study to identify— 

6 (1) the most effective and beneficial methods 

7 that are currently available to identify the need for 

8 treating and best treatment methods for, infants di9 agnosed with neonatal abstinence syndrome; 

10 (2) barriers, including associated costs and limi11 tations or disparities in the availability or scope of 

12 health insurance coverage, that may hinder the clin13 ical use of best practices by medical professionals 

14 and other health care providers for the identification 

15 and treatment of neonatal abstinence syndrome; 

16 (3) circumstances, such as populations with 

17 unique needs and health care settings with limited 

18 resources, that may require particularized best prac19 tices for medical professionals and other health care 

20 providers for the identification and treatment of neo21 natal abstinence syndrome; 

22 (4) existing surveillance measures within the 

23 Department of Health and Human Services (in this 

24 Act referred to as the ‘‘Department’’) and in State 

25 health agencies relating to neonatal abstinence syn26 drome; and 


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1 (5) areas in which information on neonatal ab2 stinence syndrome and its surrounding cir3 cumstances is insufficient, incomplete, or requires 

4 further study or analysis. 

5 (b) ADVISORY PANEL.— 

6 (1) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall con7 vene an advisory panel (in this section referred to as 

8 the ‘‘Panel’’) to identify and compile the best prac9 tices under subsection (c). The Secretary shall re10 convene the Panel for such purpose whenever the 

11 Secretary, with the advice of the Panel, determines 

12 updates are needed to the list of best practices under 

13 subsection (e), but no less than every 2 years. 

14 (2) MEMBERS.—The Panel shall be composed 

15 of 19 members, all of whom shall be medical profes16 sionals or health care providers with expertise in 

17 neonatal abstinence syndrome. Members shall rep18 resent the broad range of such professionals and 

19 providers necessary to identify and compile the best 

20 practices for identification and treatment of neonatal 

21 abstinence syndrome, including representatives of— 

22 (A) The American Academy of Family 

23 Physicians. 

24 (B) The American Academy of Pediatrics. 


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1 (C) The American Academy of Physician 

2 Assistants. 

3 (D) The American College of Nurse-Mid4 wives. 

5 (E) The American College of Obstetricians 

6 and Gynecologists. 

7 (F) The American Hospital Association. 

8 (G) The American Medical Association. 

9 (H) The American Nurses Association. 

10 (I) The American Pharmacists Association. 

11 (J) The American Public Health Associa12 tion. 

13 (K) The American Society for Addiction 

14 Medicine. 

15 (L) The American Society of Anesthesiol16 ogists. 

17 (M) The Association of State and Terri18 torial Health Professionals. 

19 (N) The Association of Women’s Health, 

20 Obstetric, and Neonatal Nurses. 

21 (O) The Children’s Hospital Association. 

22 (P) The National Association of Medicaid 

23 Directors. 

24 (Q) The National Association of Nurse 

25 Practitioners in Women’s Health. 


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1 (R) The National Association of Pediatric 

2 Nurse Practitioners. 

3 (S) The National Association of Social 

4 Workers. 

5 (3) ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT.—The Secretary 

6 shall provide appropriate administrative support, in7 cluding technical assistance, to the Panel. 

8 (c) BEST PRACTICES; PLAN; REPORT.—Not later 

9 than 12 months after the date of enactment of this Act, 

10 the Secretary shall— 

11 (1)(A) identify and compile the best practices 

12 for medical professionals and other health care pro13 viders for identifying and treating neonatal absti14 nence syndrome; and 

15 (B) identify any gaps in best practices for med16 ical professionals and other health care providers 

17 that may require additional research or analysis; 

18 (2) develop and implement a plan for the co19 ordination and, if necessary, expansion and enhance20 ment of public health surveillance of neonatal absti21 nence syndrome that— 

22 (A) identifies the data necessary for a pub23 lic health response to neonatal abstinence syn24 drome; 


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1 (B) identifies any gaps in current surveil2 lance or coordination that results in the lack of 

3 collection of such data, including a lack of time4 liness or standardization of data reporting; 

5 (C) makes recommendations and provides 

6 assistance to the States to implement effective 

7 measures to collect such necessary data by 

8 State health agencies; and 

9 (D) designates an appropriate agency in 

10 the Department to coordinate such data; and 

11 (3) not later than 18 months after the date of 

12 enactment of this Act, submit to the Congress a re13 port containing the Secretary’s findings and identi14 fying issues that— 

15 (A) relate to neonatal abstinence syn16 drome, including its causes, identification, 

17 treatment, prevalence, and effects; and 

18 (B) public health issues related to neonatal 

19 abstinence syndrome that would benefit from 

20 further study. 

21 (d) DISSEMINATION OF BEST PRACTICES.—The Sec22 retary— 

23 (1) shall disseminate the best practices identi24 fied and compiled under subsection (c), including 

25 any updates under subsection (e), directly or 


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1 through arrangements with nonprofit organizations, 

2 government agencies, or the media; 

3 (2) shall post such best practices on the public 

4 Internet site of the Department; and 

5 (3) may include in such dissemination any sup6 plemental information which the Secretary deter7 mines to be relevant and appropriate, in consultation 

8 with the Panel. 

9 (e) UPDATES TO BEST PRACTICES.—The Secretary 

10 shall periodically, but no less often than every 2 years, 

11 review the best practices identified under subsection (c) 

12 to ensure that such best practices are up-to-date and re13 flect the views of the medical community, including organi14 zations listed in subsection (b)(2). 

15 (f) APPROPRIATE AGENCY.—In designating an ap16 propriate agency within the Department under subsection 

17 (c), the Secretary shall consider, among other factors, 

18 agency resources, purpose, expertise, and capability to 

19 conduct public health programs and research. 

Æ 


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