114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 799 

AN ACT 

To address problems related to prenatal opioid use. 

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 ‘‘Protecting Our Infants 

3 Act of 2015’’. 

4 SEC. 2. ADDRESSING PROBLEMS RELATED TO PRENATAL 

5 OPIOID USE. 

6 (a) REVIEW OF PROGRAMS.—The Secretary of 

7 Health and Human Services (referred to in this Act as 

8 the ‘‘Secretary’’) shall conduct a review of planning and 

9 coordination related to prenatal opioid use, including neo10 natal abstinence syndrome, within the agencies of the De11 partment of Health and Human Services. 

12 (b) STRATEGY.—In carrying out subsection (a), the 

13 Secretary shall develop a strategy to address gaps in re14 search and gaps, overlap, and duplication among Federal 

15 programs, including those identified in findings made by 

16 reports of the Government Accountability Office. Such 

17 strategy shall address— 

18 (1) gaps in research, including with respect 

19 to— 

20 (A) the most appropriate treatment of 

21 pregnant women with opioid use disorders; 

22 (B) the most appropriate treatment and 

23 management of infants with neonatal absti24 nence syndrome; and 

25 (C) the long-term effects of prenatal opioid 

26 exposure on children; 
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1 (2) gaps, overlap, or duplication in— 

2 (A) substance use disorder treatment pro3 grams for pregnant and postpartum women; 

4 and 

5 (B) treatment program options for 

6 newborns with neonatal abstinence syndrome; 

7 (3) gaps, overlap, or duplication in Federal ef8 forts related to education about, and prevention of, 

9 neonatal abstinence syndrome; and 

10 (4) coordination of Federal efforts to address 

11 neonatal abstinence syndrome. 

12 (c) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the date 

13 of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to 

14 the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pen15 sions of the Senate and the Committee on Energy and 

16 Commerce of the House of Representatives a report con17 cerning the findings of the review conducted under sub18 section (a) and the strategy developed under subsection 

19 (b). 

20 SEC. 3. DEVELOPING RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PRE21 VENTING AND TREATING PRENATAL OPIOID 

22 USE DISORDERS. 

23 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall conduct a 

24 study and develop recommendations for preventing and 

25 treating prenatal opioid use disorders, including the ef-
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1 fects of such disorders on infants. In carrying out this sub2 section the Secretary shall— 

3 (1) take into consideration— 

4 (A) the review and strategy conducted and 

5 developed under section 2; and 

6 (B) the lessons learned from previous 

7 opioid epidemics; and 

8 (2) solicit input from States, localities, and 

9 Federally recognized Indian tribes or tribal organiza10 tions (as defined in the Indian Self-Determination 

11 and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 450b)), 

12 and nongovernmental entities, including organiza13 tions representing patients, health care providers, 

14 hospitals, other treatment facilities, and other enti15 ties, as appropriate. 

16 (b) REPORT.—Not later than 18 months after the 

17 date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall make 

18 available on the appropriate Internet Website of the De19 partment of Health and Human Services a report on the 

20 recommendations under subsection (a). Such report shall 

21 address each of the issues described in subsection (c). 

22 (c) CONTENTS.—The recommendations described in 

23 subsection (a) and the report under subsection (b) shall 

24 include— 
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1 (1) a comprehensive assessment of existing re2 search with respect to the prevention, identification, 

3 treatment, and long-term outcomes of neonatal ab4 stinence syndrome, including the identification and 

5 treatment of pregnant women or women who may 

6 become pregnant who use opioids or have opioid use 

7 disorders; 

8 (2) an evaluation of— 

9 (A) the causes of, and risk factors for, 

10 opioid use disorders among women of reproduc11 tive age, including pregnant women; 

12 (B) the barriers to identifying and treating 

13 opioid use disorders among women of reproduc14 tive age, including pregnant and postpartum 

15 women and women with young children; 

16 (C) current practices in the health care 

17 system to respond to, and treat, pregnant 

18 women with opioid use disorders and infants af19 fected by such disorders; 

20 (D) medically indicated uses of opioids 

21 during pregnancy; 

22 (E) access to treatment for opioid use dis23 orders in pregnant and postpartum women; and 

24 (F) access to treatment for infants with 

25 neonatal abstinence syndrome; and 
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1 (G) differences in prenatal opioid use and 

2 use disorders in pregnant women between de3 mographic groups; and 

4 (3) recommendations on— 

5 (A) preventing, identifying, and treating 

6 the effects of prenatal opioid use on infants; 

7 (B) treating pregnant women who have 

8 opioid use disorders; 

9 (C) preventing opioid use disorders among 

10 women of reproductive age, including pregnant 

11 women, who may be at risk of developing opioid 

12 use disorders; and 

13 (D) reducing disparities in opioid use dis14 orders among pregnant women. 

15 SEC. 4. IMPROVING DATA AND THE PUBLIC HEALTH RE16 SPONSE. 

17 The Secretary may continue activities, as appro18 priate, related to— 

19 (1) providing technical assistance to support 

20 States and Federally recognized Indian Tribes in 

21 collecting information on neonatal abstinence syn22 drome through the utilization of existing surveillance 

23 systems and collaborating with States and Federally 

24 recognized Indian Tribes to improve the quality, 

25 consistency, and collection of such data; and 
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1 (2) providing technical assistance to support 

2 States in implementing effective public health meas3 ures, such as disseminating information to educate 

4 the public, health care providers, and other stake5 holders on prenatal opioid use and neonatal absti6 nence syndrome. 

Passed the Senate October 22, 2015. 

Attest: 

Secretary. 
114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 799 

AN ACT 

To address problems related to prenatal opioid use.