A BILL 
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to enter into 
a memorandum of understanding with the executive di-
rector of a national network of State-based prescription 
monitoring programs under which Department of Vet-
erans Affairs health care providers shall query such net-
work, and for other purposes. 
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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 ‘‘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 consid-
ered 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 sup-
port the safe and effective prescribing of controlled sub-
stances 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 accordance 
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with applicable regulations and policies of the Vet-
erans Health Administration; and 
‘‘(B) notwithstanding any general or specific 
provision of law, rule, or regulation of a State, no 
State may restrict the access of licensed health care 
providers or delegates of such providers from accessing 
that State’s prescription drug monitoring programs. 
‘‘(3) No State shall deny or revoke the license, registra-
tion, 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 prescription drug moni-
toring 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)). 
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‘‘(2) The term ‘delegate’ means a person or auto-
mated system accessing the national network of State- 
based prescription monitoring programs at the direc-
tion 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 with-
in any State to fill or prescribe medications within 
the scope of his or her practice as a Department em-
ployee. 
‘‘(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 in-
serting after the item relating to section 1730A the following 
new item: 
‘‘1730B. Access to State prescription drug monitoring programs.’’. 
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Amend the title so as to read: ‘‘A bill to amend title 
38, United States Code, to provide for access by Depart-
ment of Veterans Affairs health care providers to State 
prescription drug monitoring programs.’’. 
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