I 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5272 
To ensure that programs and activities that are funded by a grant, cooperative 
agreement, loan, or loan guarantee from the Department of Health 
and Human Services, and whose purpose is to prevent or treat a mental 
health or substance use disorder, are evidence-based. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 14, 2018 
Mr. STIVERS (for himself, Mr. ENGEL, Mrs. COMSTOCK, and Mr. GIBBS) in-
troduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on En-
ergy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To ensure that programs and activities that are funded by 
a grant, cooperative agreement, loan, or loan guarantee 
from the Department of Health and Human Services, 
and whose purpose is to prevent or treat a mental health 
or substance use disorder, are evidence-based. 
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 ‘‘Reinforcing Evidence- 
Based Standards Under Law in Treating Substance 
Abuse Act of 2018’’ or the ‘‘RESULTS Act of 2018’’. 
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SEC. 2. ENSURING THAT CERTAIN PROGRAMS AND ACTIVI-
TIES SUPPORTED BY HHS TO PREVENT OR 
TREAT MENTAL HEALTH OR SUBSTANCE USE 
DISORDERS ARE EVIDENCE-BASED. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Part P of title III of the Public 
Health Service Act is amended by inserting after section 
399V–6 (42 U.S.C. 280g–17) the following: 
‘‘SEC. 399V–7. ENSURING THAT PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES 
TO PREVENT OR TREAT MENTAL HEALTH OR 
SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS ARE EVIDENCE- 
BASED. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—In the case of any applicant for 
a grant, cooperative agreement, loan, or loan guarantee 
from the Department of Health and Human Services to 
be used primarily for a program or activity to implement 
interventions to prevent or treat a mental health or sub-
stance use disorder, the Secretary shall— 
‘‘(1) require the applicant to submit materials 
demonstrating that the program or activity is evi-
dence-based; and 
‘‘(2) subject to subsection (d), post such mate-
rials on the public website of the Department. 
‘‘(b) DELEGATION.—The Secretary shall carry out 
this section acting through the head of the relevant agency 
or office within the Department of Health and Human 
Services. 
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‘‘(c) WAIVERS.— 
‘‘(1) STANDARD.—The Secretary may waive the 
applicability of subsection (a) if the applicant in-
volved demonstrates to the Secretary’s satisfaction 
that— 
‘‘(A) the programs and activities to be 
funded are emergent or innovative; and 
‘‘(B) such programs and activities will con-
tribute to the body of knowledge that is needed 
for similar programs and activities (such as 
programs targeting specific populations) to be-
come evidence-based. 
‘‘(2) PROCESS; CRITERIA.—The Secretary shall 
ensure that— 
‘‘(A) the waiver process under this sub-
section is streamlined and simplified, to the 
fullest extent possible; and 
‘‘(B) the criteria for a waiver do not in any 
way discourage the funding of emergent or in-
novative programs or activities. 
‘‘(3) AVAILABILITY OF EVIDENCE.—As a condi-
tion on receipt of a waiver under paragraph (1), sub-
ject to subsection (d), the Secretary shall require the 
applicant to submit any materials submitted pursu-
ant to such waiver— 
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‘‘(A) to a federally maintained or recog-
nized registry of evidence-based programs or ac-
tivities, or to another evidence-based practice 
resource center, to be made publicly available; 
or 
‘‘(B) to the Secretary to post on the public 
website of the Department of Health and 
Human Services. 
‘‘(d) PROTECTION OF CONFIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL 
INFORMATION.—Nothing in this section shall be construed 
to alter the protections offered by laws governing disclo-
sure of confidential commercial or trade secret information 
and any other information exempt from disclosure pursu-
ant to section 552(b) of title 5, United States Code. 
‘‘(e) DEFINITION.—In this section, the term ‘evi-
dence-based’ means verified or supported by research or 
practices that— 
‘‘(1) are conducted in compliance with rigorous 
scientific methods in regards to efficacy and effec-
tiveness; 
‘‘(2) are published in peer-reviewed journals, 
where applicable; 
‘‘(3) reflect information that existing clinical 
guidelines or leading professional organizations and 
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agencies with relevant expertise in the field recognize 
as accurate, objective, and complete; or 
‘‘(4) demonstrate the effectiveness of a specific 
therapy in practice.’’. 
(b) REGULATIONS.—Not later than 180 days after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health 
and Human Services shall promulgate final regulations to 
carry out section 399V–7 of the Public Health Service 
Act, as added by subsection (a). 
(c) APPLICABILITY.—Section 399V–7 of the Public 
Health Service Act, as added by subsection (a), applies 
to any application for a grant, cooperative agreement, 
loan, or loan guarantee described in such section 399V– 
7 that is submitted to the Department of Health and 
Human Services on or after the date that is 1 year after 
the date of enactment of this Act. 
Æ 
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