I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3974 
To require the use of prescription drug monitoring programs. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 25, 2019 
Mr. RYAN (for himself and Mr. BALDERSON) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To require the use of prescription drug monitoring programs. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Prescription Drug 
Monitoring Act of 2019’’. 
SEC. 2. REQUIRING THE USE OF PRESCRIPTION DRUG 
MONITORING PROGRAMS. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) 
CONTROLLED
SUBSTANCE.—The 
term 
‘‘controlled substance’’ has the meaning given the 
term in section 102 of the Controlled Substances 
Act (21 U.S.C. 802). 
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(2) COVERED
STATE.—The term ‘‘covered 
State’’ means a State that receives funding under 
the Harold Rogers Prescription Drug Monitoring 
Program established under the Departments of 
Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and 
Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2002 (Public 
Law 107–77; 115 Stat. 748), or under the con-
trolled substance monitoring program under section 
399O of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
280g–3). 
(3) DISPENSER.—The term ‘‘dispenser’’— 
(A) means a person licensed or otherwise 
authorized by a State to deliver a prescription 
drug product to a patient or an agent of the pa-
tient; and 
(B) does not include a person involved in 
oversight or payment for prescription drugs. 
(4) PDMP.—The term ‘‘PDMP’’ means a pre-
scription drug monitoring program. 
(5) PRACTITIONER.—The term ‘‘practitioner’’ 
means a practitioner registered under section 303(f) 
of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 823(f)) 
to prescribe, administer, or dispense controlled sub-
stances. 
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(6) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means each of 
the several States and the District of Columbia. 
(b) REQUIREMENTS.—Beginning 1 year after the 
date of enactment of this Act, each covered State shall 
require— 
(1) each prescribing practitioner within the cov-
ered State or their designee, who shall be licensed or 
registered healthcare professionals or other employ-
ees who report directly to the practitioner, to consult 
the PDMP of the covered State before initiating 
treatment with a prescription for a controlled sub-
stance listed in schedule II, III, or IV of section 
202(c) of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 
812(c)), and every 3 months thereafter as long as 
the treatment continues; 
(2) the PDMP of the covered State to provide 
proactive notification to a practitioner when patterns 
indicative of controlled substance misuse, including 
opioid misuse, are detected; 
(3) each dispenser within the covered State to 
report each prescription for a controlled substance 
dispensed by the dispenser to the PDMP not later 
than 24 hours after the controlled substance is dis-
pensed to the patient; 
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