IV 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. CON. RES. 42 
Expressing the sense of Congress that governmental entities should use a 
portion of the proceeds from litigation against opioid manufacturers 
and distributors to increase participation in drug take back programs 
and for the safe disposal of collected, unused medicines. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 21, 2021 
Mr. MCKINLEY (for himself and Mr. TRONE) submitted the following concur-
rent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and 
Commerce 
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 
Expressing the sense of Congress that governmental entities 
should use a portion of the proceeds from litigation 
against opioid manufacturers and distributors to increase 
participation in drug take back programs and for the 
safe disposal of collected, unused medicines. 
Whereas according to the National Survey on Drug Use and 
Health, 9.7 million people used prescription pain relievers 
other than as indicated, 4.9 million people used prescrip-
tion stimulants other than as indicated, and 5.9 million 
people used prescription tranquilizers or sedatives other 
than as indicated in 2019; 
Whereas according to data released from the National Center 
for Health Statistics of the Centers for Disease Control 
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•HCON 42 IH 
and Prevention on July 14, 2021, the United States has 
seen an increase in overdose deaths during the COVID– 
19 pandemic with over 93,000 Americans dying in 2020, 
an increase of nearly 30 percent from 2019, the most 
ever recorded in a 12-month period; 
Whereas studies indicate a majority of prescription drugs 
used other than as indicated come from family and 
friends, including from home medicine cabinets, and that 
safely clearing out unused medicine from home medicine 
cabinets is an essential component in addressing the 
opioid crisis; 
Whereas a safe system for the collection and disposal of un-
used, unwanted, and expired medicines is a key element 
of a comprehensive strategy to prevent the use of pre-
scription drugs other than as indicated, but disposing of 
medicines by flushing them down the toilet or placing 
them in the garbage can contaminate ground water and 
other bodies of water, contributing to long-term harm to 
the environment and animal life; 
Whereas the Drug Enforcement Administration, along with 
its law enforcement partners, has successfully collected 
14,524,391 pounds of unused medications since the in-
ception of the National Prescription Drug Take Back Ini-
tiative in 2010; 
Whereas the Drug Enforcement Administration collected 
839,543 pounds (or 419.7 tons) of unused, expired, and 
unwanted medications across the country on National 
Prescription Drug Take Back Day in April 2021; 
Whereas despite the success of such programs sponsored by 
the Drug Enforcement Administration, in 2017, a report 
by the Comptroller General of the United States found 
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that only about 3 percent of pharmacies and other enti-
ties eligible to collect unused prescription drugs for dis-
posal have volunteered to do so, citing the costs associ-
ated with maintaining a disposal bin as reasons for re-
duced participation in such programs, including pur-
chasing and installing the bin (and disposing the contents 
of the bin) in accordance with the requirements of the 
Drug Enforcement Administration; 
Whereas according to a more recent report by the Association 
of State and Territorial Health Officials, between 5 and 
15 percent of consumers participate in take back pro-
grams, and the costs of transporting the collected drugs 
to incinerating facilities sometimes poses challenges for 
localities and States; and 
Whereas thousands of lawsuits have been filed by States, 
counties, and municipalities against drug makers and dis-
tributors to recover costs associated with the opioid epi-
demic: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
concurring), That it is the sense of the Congress that gov-
ernmental entities that receive proceeds from litigation 
against opioid manufacturers and distributors, should con-
sider, as a proven and effective way to address the opioid 
crisis, using a reasonable portion of these proceeds to in-
crease awareness of the importance of drug take back pro-
grams, increasing the number of locations offering drug 
take back kiosks, increasing consumer participation in 
these programs, and lower the costs of disposal and trans-
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portation of unused medications collected at participating 
collection locations. 
Æ 
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