II 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 2722 

To facilitate identification and dissemination of evidence-informed recommendations for addressing maternal addiction and neonatal abstinence 

syndrome and to provide for studies with respect to neonatal abstinence 

syndrome. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 31, 2014 

Mr. MCCONNELL introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 

referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 

A BILL 

To facilitate identification and dissemination of evidenceinformed recommendations for addressing maternal addiction and neonatal abstinence syndrome and to provide 

for studies with respect to neonatal abstinence syndrome. 

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 ‘‘Protecting Our Infants 

5 Act of 2014’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. EVIDENCE-INFORMED RECOMMENDATIONS WITH 

2 RESPECT TO MATERNAL ADDICTION AND 

3 NEONATAL ABSTINENCE SYNDROME. 

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Health and 

5 Human Services (referred to in this section as the ‘‘Sec6 retary’’) shall coordinate and facilitate the— 

7 (1) identification and compilation of evidence8 informed recommendations for physicians, nurses, 

9 and hospital facilities with respect to neonatal absti10 nence syndrome; and 

11 (2) identification of any gaps, as appropriate, in 

12 such evidence-informed recommendations that may 

13 require additional research or analysis with respect 

14 to— 

15 (A) screening and intervention for mater16 nal substance abuse, including the misuse or 

17 abuse of prescription drugs in women of child18 bearing age and pregnant women; 

19 (B) treatment for pregnant and postpar20 tum women with a substance use disorder, in21 cluding the misuse or abuse of prescription 

22 drugs; 

23 (C) screening of infants for neonatal absti24 nence syndrome and for the risk of developing 

25 neonatal abstinence syndrome; 


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1 (D) treatment for infants with neonatal 

2 abstinence syndrome, including evidence-in3 formed recommendations surrounding evalua4 tion and treatment with pharmacological and 

5 non-pharmacological interventions; and 

6 (E) ongoing treatment, services, and sup7 ports for postpartum women with a substance 

8 use disorder, including misuse or abuse of pre9 scription drugs, and infants and children with 

10 neonatal abstinence syndrome. 

11 (b) INPUT.—In carrying out subsection (a), the Sec12 retary shall consider input from stakeholders, such as 

13 health professionals, public health officials, and law en14 forcement. 

15 (c) DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION.—The Sec16 retary shall disseminate to appropriate stakeholders in 

17 States and local communities the evidence-informed rec18 ommendations identified under subsection (a). 

19 (d) ADDRESSING RESEARCH NEEDS FOR MATERNAL

20 ADDICTION AND NEONATAL ABSTINENCE SYNDROME.— 

21 The Secretary shall conduct a study to evaluate— 

22 (1) factors related to the increased prevalence 

23 of maternal opiate misuse and abuse; 

24 (2) factors related to maternal misuse and 

25 abuse of opiates, including— 


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1 (A) barriers to identifying and treating 

2 maternal misuse and abuse of opiates; and 

3 (B) the most effective prevention and 

4 treatment strategies for pregnant women and 

5 other women of childbearing age who are at 

6 risk for or dependent on opiates; and 

7 (3) factors related to neonatal abstinence syn8 drome, including— 

9 (A) epidemiological studies concerning neo10 natal abstinence syndrome; 

11 (B) the most effective methods to diagnose 

12 and treat neonatal abstinence syndrome; and 

13 (C) the long-term effects of neonatal absti14 nence syndrome and the need for a longer-term 

15 study on infants and children at risk for devel16 oping neonatal abstinence syndrome or diag17 nosed with neonatal abstinence syndrome. 

18 (e) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the date 

19 of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall provide to 

20 the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pen21 sions of the Senate and the Committee on Energy and 

22 Commerce of the House of Representatives the findings 

23 from the study under subsection (d) and a report that 

24 identifies the gaps in evidence-informed recommendations 


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1 that require additional research or analysis, and priority 

2 areas for additional research. 

3 SEC. 3. IMPROVING DATA ON NEONATAL ABSTINENCE SYN4 DROME. 

5 The Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting 

6 through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control 

7 and Prevention, shall provide technical assistance to 

8 States to improve the availability and quality of data col9 lection and surveillance activities regarding neonatal absti10 nence syndrome, including— 

11 (1) incidence and prevalence of neonatal absti12 nence syndrome; 

13 (2) the identification of causes for neonatal ab14 stinence syndrome, including new and emerging 

15 trends; and 

16 (3) the identification of demographics and other 

17 relevant information associated with neonatal absti18 nence syndrome. 

19 SEC. 4. PAIN MANAGEMENT ALTERNATIVES. 

20 It is the sense of Congress that the Director of the 

21 National Institutes of Health should continue research 

22 with respect to pain management, including for women of 

23 childbearing age. 


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1 SEC. 5. GAO STUDY. 

2 Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment 

3 of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States 

4 shall conduct a study evaluating— 

5 (1) the availability and effectiveness of federally 

6 facilitated substance abuse treatment programs for 

7 pregnant women and their children; 

8 (2) the availability and effectiveness of Federal 

9 programs that encourage State adoption and imple10 mentation of programs to ensure— 

11 (A) the safety and health of mothers who 

12 have a substance use disorder; and 

13 (B) the safety and health of children with 

14 neonatal abstinence syndrome; 

15 (3) the effectiveness of Federal data systems 

16 and surveillance programs used to monitor or track 

17 drug utilization and resulting trends, including 

18 whether information on neonatal abstinence syn19 drome is incorporated into such data systems; and 

20 (4) the identification of the use of all discre21 tionary funds to address maternal substance abuse, 

22 including the misuse and abuse of prescription 

23 drugs. 

Æ 


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