I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4733 
To establish and fund an Opioids and STOP Pain Initiative to expand, 
intensify, and coordinate fundamental, translational, and clinical research 
of the National Institutes of Health with respect to opioid abuse, the 
understanding of pain, and the discovery and development of safer and 
more effective treatments and preventive interventions for pain. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 21, 2017 
Mr. WELCH (for himself and Mr. MCKINLEY) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in 
addition to the Committees on the Budget, and Ways and Means, for a 
period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the com-
mittee concerned 
A BILL 
To establish and fund an Opioids and STOP Pain Initiative 
to expand, intensify, and coordinate fundamental, 
translational, and clinical research of the National Insti-
tutes of Health with respect to opioid abuse, the under-
standing of pain, and the discovery and development 
of safer and more effective treatments and preventive 
interventions for pain. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
16:29 Dec 23, 2017
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4733.IH
H4733
ethrower on DSK3G9T082PROD with BILLS
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Opioids and STOP 
Pain Initiative Act’’. 
SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT. 
There is established an Opioids and STOP Pain Ini-
tiative, to be administered by the Director of the National 
Institutes of Health, in coordination with other agencies, 
as appropriate, which shall include efforts to support re-
search on the following: 
(1) Section 108 of the Comprehensive Addiction 
and Recovery Act of 2016 (42 U.S.C. 284q–1), 
known as the STOP Pain Act, which directs the Na-
tional Institutes of Health to intensify and coordi-
nate fundamental, translational, and clinical re-
search with respect to— 
(A) the understanding of pain; 
(B) the discovery and development of 
therapies for chronic pain; and 
(C) the development of alternatives to 
opioids for effective pain treatments. 
(2) Developing improved options and evidence 
for medication-assisted treatment. 
(3) Developing improved options and evidence 
for opioid overdose reversal treatments. 
(4) The Federal Pain Research Strategy, in-
cluding research that focuses on— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
16:29 Dec 23, 2017
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4733.IH
H4733
ethrower on DSK3G9T082PROD with BILLS
(A) novel drugs, non-addictive, and non- 
pharmacological treatments for pain; 
(B) screening tools and outcome measure 
for assessments across the continuum of pain; 
(C) national registries, datasets, and re-
search networks; 
(D) effective models of care delivery for 
pain management; and 
(E) precision medicine methodology to pre-
vent and treat pain. 
(5) The components of the Department of 
Health and Human Services five-point strategy to 
address the opioid crisis that states: ‘‘Providing sup-
port for cutting edge research on pain and addic-
tion’’. 
(6) The pain therapy screening program estab-
lished under section 4. 
(7) Other elements that the Secretary of Health 
and Human Services may designate, in consultation 
with the Director of the National Institutes of 
Health. 
SEC. 3. FUNDING FOR THE OPIOIDS AND STOP PAIN INITIA-
TIVE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—There is authorized to be appro-
priated, and there is appropriated, $5,000,000,000, to be 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
16:29 Dec 23, 2017
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4733.IH
H4733
ethrower on DSK3G9T082PROD with BILLS
used during the 5-fiscal-year period beginning in the fiscal 
year in which such funds are appropriated, to the National 
Institutes of Health Innovation Account to be used to ad-
minister the Opioids and STOP Pain Initiative established 
under section 2. 
(b) EMERGENCY SPENDING.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Amounts appropriated under 
subsection (a) are designated as an emergency re-
quirement pursuant to section 4(g) of the Statutory 
Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 (2 U.S.C. 933(g)). 
(2) DESIGNATION
IN
THE
SENATE.—In the 
Senate, amounts appropriated under subsection (a) 
are designated as an emergency requirement pursu-
ant to section 403(a) of S. Con. Res. 13 (111th 
Congress), the concurrent resolution on the budget 
for fiscal year 2010. 
SEC. 4. PAIN THERAPY SCREENING PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Health and 
Human Services (referred to in this section as the ‘‘Sec-
retary’’) shall carry out through the National Institutes 
of Health a program to be known as the ‘‘Pain Therapy 
Screening Program’’ that focuses on the development of 
pain therapeutics. 
(b) GRANTS.—The Secretary shall award grants 
under the program under subsection (a) to eligible public 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
16:29 Dec 23, 2017
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4733.IH
H4733
ethrower on DSK3G9T082PROD with BILLS
and private nonprofit entities to support the development 
of new pre-clinical models for pain disorders, and the ap-
plication of these models in drug, device, or other therapy 
screening. 
(c) MODEL.—The program under this section shall 
be modeled after the Epilepsy Therapy Screening Program 
carried out by the National Institute of Neurological Dis-
orders and Stroke. 
(d) FEES.—The Secretary of Health and Human 
Services may assess reasonable fees on private pharma-
ceutical or medical device industry entities that utilize the 
program under this section to screen proprietary molec-
ular compounds and devices. Such fees shall be paid to 
the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health and 
transferred to the NIH Innovation Account to be used for 
the Opioids and STOP Pain Initiative established under 
section 2. 
(e) FUNDING.—The Director of the National Insti-
tutes of Health shall determine the amount, and allocate, 
funds from the amount appropriated under section 3, to 
carry out this section. 
SEC. 5. FUNDING PROVISIONS. 
(a) SUPPLEMENT NOT SUPPLANT.—Amounts appro-
priated in this Act (including the amendments made by 
this Act) shall be used to supplement, not supplant, cur-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
16:29 Dec 23, 2017
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4733.IH
H4733
ethrower on DSK3G9T082PROD with BILLS