I 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4903 
To direct the Comptroller General to conduct a study and submit a report 
to Congress on best practices in use by Federal departments and agencies 
to reduce opioid usage following medical procedures. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 30, 2018 
Mr. KUSTOFF of Tennessee (for himself and Mr. NORCROSS) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To direct the Comptroller General to conduct a study and 
submit a report to Congress on best practices in use 
by Federal departments and agencies to reduce opioid 
usage following medical procedures. 
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 ‘‘Combating Opioid Mis-
use By Advancing Treatment Act of 2018’’ or the ‘‘COM-
BAT Act of 2018’’. 
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SEC. 2. STUDY ON BEST PRACTICES IN USE BY FEDERAL 
GOVERNMENT TO REDUCE OPIOID USAGE 
FOLLOWING MEDICAL PROCEDURES. 
(a) STUDY.—The Comptroller General of the United 
States, in consultation with the Secretary of Health and 
Human Services, the Secretary of Defense, the Adminis-
trator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 
the Director of the National Institutes of Health, and the 
Commissioner of Food and Drugs, shall conduct a study 
on best practices in use by Federal departments and agen-
cies to reduce opioid usage following a medical procedure 
that is conducted, funded, or otherwise supported by such 
departments and agencies. 
(b) TOPICS.—The study required by subsection (a)— 
(1) shall— 
(A) include analysis of the research that 
has been, and is being, conducted or supported 
on reducing opioid usage following medical pro-
cedures described in subsection (a); 
(B) disaggregate such analysis according 
to whether the medical procedure is a short- 
term medical procedure or a long-term medical 
procedure; and 
(C) take into consideration— 
(i) the costs associated with using the 
best practices described in subsection (a) 
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relative to the costs of not using such best 
practices; and 
(ii) the rates of addiction to opioids 
associated with using the best practices de-
scribed in subsection (a) relative to the 
rates of addiction to opioids associated 
with not using such best practices; and 
(2) shall include analysis of— 
(A) gaps that have been identified by Fed-
eral officials with respect to the costs and rates 
described in clauses (i) and (ii) of paragraph 
(1)(C) relative to adult, young adult, and ado-
lescent populations; and 
(B) justifications offered by such officials 
for such gaps. 
(c) REPORT.—Not later than 2 years after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall 
submit to the appropriate committees of the Congress a 
report containing the results of the study conducted under 
subsection (a), including— 
(1) a summary of the findings of the study; 
(2) recommendations based on the results of 
the study, including recommendations for such areas 
of research and legislative and administrative action 
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as the Comptroller General determines appropriate; 
and 
(3) recommendations on educating health care 
providers about the findings of the study. 
(d) DEFINITIONS.—In this Act: 
(1) The term ‘‘short-term medical procedure’’ 
means a medical procedure with a recovery time of 
less than 30 calendar days. 
(2) The term ‘‘long-term medical procedure’’ 
means a medical procedure with a recovery time of 
30 calendar days or more. 
Æ 
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