S. 799 

One Hundred Fourteenth Congress 

of the 

United States of America 

AT THE FIRST SESSION 

Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday, 

the sixth day of January, two thousand and fifteen 

An Act 

To address problems related to prenatal opioid use. 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 

the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Protecting Our Infants Act 

of 2015’’. 

SEC. 2. ADDRESSING PROBLEMS RELATED TO PRENATAL OPIOID USE. 

(a) REVIEW OF PROGRAMS.—The Secretary of Health and 

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

conduct a review of planning and coordination related to prenatal 

opioid use, including neonatal abstinence syndrome, within the 

agencies of the Department of Health and Human Services. 

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

shall develop a strategy to address gaps in research and gaps, 

overlap, and duplication among Federal programs, including those 

identified in findings made by reports of the Government Accountability Office. Such strategy shall address— 

(1) gaps in research, including with respect to— 

(A) the most appropriate treatment of pregnant women 

with opioid use disorders; 

(B) the most appropriate treatment and management 

of infants with neonatal abstinence syndrome; and 

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

on children; 

(2) gaps, overlap, or duplication in— 

(A) substance use disorder treatment programs for 

pregnant and postpartum women; and 

(B) treatment program options for newborns with neonatal abstinence syndrome; 

(3) gaps, overlap, or duplication in Federal efforts related 

to education about, and prevention of, neonatal abstinence syndrome; and 

(4) coordination of Federal efforts to address neonatal 

abstinence syndrome. 

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

of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Health, 

Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and the Committee 

on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives a report 

concerning the findings of the review conducted under subsection 

(a) and the strategy developed under subsection (b). 
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SEC. 3. DEVELOPING RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PREVENTING AND 

TREATING PRENATAL OPIOID USE DISORDERS. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall conduct a study and 

develop recommendations for preventing and treating prenatal 

opioid use disorders, including the effects of such disorders on 

infants. In carrying out this subsection the Secretary shall— 

(1) take into consideration— 

(A) the review and strategy conducted and developed 

under section 2; and 

(B) the lessons learned from previous opioid epidemics; 

and 

(2) solicit input from States, localities, and Federally recognized Indian tribes or tribal organizations (as defined in the 

Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 

U.S.C. 450b)), and nongovernmental entities, including 

organizations representing patients, health care providers, hospitals, other treatment facilities, and other entities, as appropriate. 

(b) REPORT.—Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall make available on the appropriate Internet Website of the Department of Health and Human 

Services a report on the recommendations under subsection (a). 

Such report shall address each of the issues described in subsection 

(c). 

(c) CONTENTS.—The recommendations described in subsection 

(a) and the report under subsection (b) shall include— 

(1) a comprehensive assessment of existing research with 

respect to the prevention, identification, treatment, and longterm outcomes of neonatal abstinence syndrome, including the 

identification and treatment of pregnant women or women who 

may become pregnant who use opioids or have opioid use disorders; 

(2) an evaluation of— 

(A) the causes of, and risk factors for, opioid use disorders among women of reproductive age, including pregnant women; 

(B) the barriers to identifying and treating opioid use 

disorders among women of reproductive age, including 

pregnant and postpartum women and women with young 

children; 

(C) current practices in the health care system to 

respond to, and treat, pregnant women with opioid use 

disorders and infants affected by such disorders; 

(D) medically indicated uses of opioids during pregnancy; 

(E) access to treatment for opioid use disorders in 

pregnant and postpartum women; and 

(F) access to treatment for infants with neonatal 

abstinence syndrome; and 

(G) differences in prenatal opioid use and use disorders 

in pregnant women between demographic groups; and 

(3) recommendations on— 

(A) preventing, identifying, and treating the effects 

of prenatal opioid use on infants; 

(B) treating pregnant women who have opioid use disorders; 
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(C) preventing opioid use disorders among women of 

reproductive age, including pregnant women, who may be 

at risk of developing opioid use disorders; and 

(D) reducing disparities in opioid use disorders among 

pregnant women. 

SEC. 4. IMPROVING DATA AND THE PUBLIC HEALTH RESPONSE. 

The Secretary may continue activities, as appropriate, related 

to— 

(1) providing technical assistance to support States and 

Federally recognized Indian Tribes in collecting information 

on neonatal abstinence syndrome through the utilization of 

existing surveillance systems and collaborating with States and 

Federally recognized Indian Tribes to improve the quality, 

consistency, and collection of such data; and 

(2) providing technical assistance to support States in 

implementing effective public health measures, such as disseminating information to educate the public, health care providers, 

and other stakeholders on prenatal opioid use and neonatal 

abstinence syndrome. 

Speaker of the House of Representatives. 

Vice President of the United States and

President of the Senate.