IIB 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 3832 
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
MAY 22, 2018 
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
AN ACT 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for access 
by Department of Veterans Affairs health care providers 
to State prescription drug monitoring programs. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Veterans Opioid Abuse 
Prevention Act’’. 
SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS PARTICIPA-
TION IN NATIONAL NETWORK OF STATE- 
BASED PRESCRIPTION DRUG MONITORING 
PROGRAMS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 17 of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended by inserting after section 1730A 
the following new section: 
‘‘§ 1730B. Access to State prescription drug moni-
toring programs 
‘‘(a) ACCESS TO PROGRAMS.—(1) Any licensed health 
care provider or delegate of such a provider shall be con-
sidered an authorized recipient or user for the purpose of 
querying and receiving data from the national network of 
State-based prescription drug monitoring programs to 
support the safe and effective prescribing of controlled 
substances to covered patients. 
‘‘(2) Under the authority granted by paragraph (1)— 
‘‘(A) licensed health care providers or delegates 
of such providers shall query such network in ac-
cordance with applicable regulations and policies of 
the Veterans Health Administration; and 
‘‘(B) notwithstanding any general or specific 
provision of law, rule, or regulation of a State, no 
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State may restrict the access of licensed health care 
providers or delegates of such providers from access-
ing that State’s prescription drug monitoring pro-
grams. 
‘‘(3) No State shall deny or revoke the license, reg-
istration, or certification of a licensed health care provider 
or delegate who otherwise meets that State’s qualifications 
for holding the license, registration, or certification on the 
basis that the licensed health care provider or delegate has 
queried or received data, or attempt to query or receive 
data, from the national network of State-based prescrip-
tion drug monitoring programs under this section. 
‘‘(b) COVERED PATIENTS.—For purposes of this sec-
tion, a covered patient is a patient who— 
‘‘(1) receives a prescription for a controlled sub-
stance; and 
‘‘(2) is not receiving palliative care or enrolled 
in hospice care. 
‘‘(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) The term ‘controlled substance’ has the 
meaning given such term in section 102(6) of the 
Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 802(6)). 
‘‘(2) The term ‘delegate’ means a person or 
automated system accessing the national network of 
State-based prescription monitoring programs at the 
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direction or under the supervision of a licensed 
health care provider. 
‘‘(3) The term ‘licensed health care provider’ 
means a health care provider employed by the De-
partment who is licensed, certified, or registered 
within any State to fill or prescribe medications 
within the scope of his or her practice as a Depart-
ment employee. 
‘‘(4) The term ‘national network of State-based 
prescription monitoring programs’ means an inter-
connected nation-wide system that facilitates the 
transfer to State prescription drug monitoring pro-
gram data across State lines. 
‘‘(5) The term ‘State’ means a State, as defined 
in section 101(20) of this title, or a political subdivi-
sion of a State.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 
at the beginning of chapter 17 of such title is amended 
by inserting after the item relating to section 1730A the 
following new item: 
‘‘1730B. Access to State prescription drug monitoring programs.’’. 
Passed the House of Representatives May 21, 2018. 
Attest: 
KAREN L. HAAS, 
Clerk. 
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