I 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2855 
To reduce deaths occurring from drug overdoses. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 12, 2009 
Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland (for herself, Mr. SERRANO, Mr. HINCHEY, Mr. 
PIERLUISI, Mr. GRIJALVA, and Mr. LANGEVIN) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To reduce deaths occurring from drug overdoses. 
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 ‘‘Drug Overdose Reduc-
tion Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
The Congress finds the following: 
(1) Drug overdose death is now second only to 
motor vehicle crashes as a leading cause of injury- 
related death nationally. Both fatal and nonfatal 
overdoses place a heavy burden on public health re-
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
05:02 Jun 13, 2009
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2855.IH
H2855
smartinez on PROD1PC64 with BILLS
sources, yet no Federal agency has been tasked with 
stemming this crisis. 
(2) The Centers for Disease Control and Pre-
vention reports that 33,541 deaths in the United 
States in 2005 were attributable to drug-induced 
causes. Sixty-seven percent of these deaths were due 
to unintentional drug poisonings and could have 
been prevented. 
(3) Deaths resulting from accidental drug 
overdoses increased more than 400 percent between 
1980 and 1999, and more than doubled between 
1999 and 2005. 
(4) Ninety-five percent of all unintentional and 
undetermined intent poisoning deaths are due to 
drugs, and poisoning deaths cost society more than 
$2,200,000,000 
in 
direct 
medical 
costs 
and 
$23,000,000,000 in lost productivity costs in the 
year 2000 alone. 
(5) According to the Federal Drug Abuse 
Warning Network, most drug-related deaths involve 
multiple drugs including prescription opioids and al-
cohol. Opioid overdose deaths are occurring among 
those who are taking pharmaceutical opioid drugs, 
like oxycodone and hydrocodone, and among heroin 
users. 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
05:02 Jun 13, 2009
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2855.IH
H2855
smartinez on PROD1PC64 with BILLS
(6) Community-based programs working with 
high-risk populations have successfully prevented 
deaths from opioid overdoses through education and 
access to effective reversal agents, such as naloxone. 
(7) Naloxone is a highly effective opioid antago-
nist that reverses overdose from both prescription 
opioids and heroin. 
(8) Public health programs to make naloxone 
available to people at-risk of a drug overdose are 
currently operating in major cities including Balti-
more, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, Boston, 
San Francisco, and Philadelphia, and statewide in 3 
States including New Mexico, Massachusetts, and 
New York. A naloxone distribution program in Bos-
ton saved more than 170 lives in the last year alone. 
(9) Between 2001 and January 2008, it is esti-
mated that more than 2,600 overdoses have been re-
versed in 16 programs across the Nation. 
(10) Many fatal drug overdoses occur in the 
presence of witnesses who can respond effectively to 
an overdose when properly trained and equipped. 
(11) Overdose prevention programs are needed 
in correctional facilities, addiction treatment pro-
grams, and other places where people are at higher 
risk of overdosing after a period of abstinence. 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
05:02 Jun 13, 2009
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2855.IH
H2855
smartinez on PROD1PC64 with BILLS
SEC. 3. OVERDOSE PREVENTION GRANT PROGRAM. 
(a) PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.—The Director of the 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shall award 
grants or cooperative agreements to eligible entities to en-
able the eligible entities to reduce deaths occurring from 
overdoses of drugs. 
(b) APPLICATION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—An eligible entity desiring a 
grant or cooperative agreement under this section 
shall submit to the Director an application at such 
time, in such manner, and containing such informa-
tion as the Director may require. 
(2) CONTENTS.—An application under para-
graph (1) shall include— 
(A) a description of the activities to be 
funded through the grant or cooperative agree-
ment; and 
(B) a demonstration that the eligible entity 
has the capacity to carry out such activities. 
(c) PRIORITY.—In awarding grants and cooperative 
agreements under subsection (a), the Director shall give 
priority to eligible entities that— 
(1) are public health agencies or community- 
based organizations; and 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
05:02 Jun 13, 2009
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2855.IH
H2855
smartinez on PROD1PC64 with BILLS
(2) have expertise in preventing deaths occur-
ring from overdoses of drugs in populations at high 
risk of such deaths. 
(d) ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES.—As a condition on receipt 
of a grant or cooperative agreement under this section, 
an eligible entity shall agree to use the grant or coopera-
tive agreement to carry out one or more of the following 
activities: 
(1) Purchasing and distributing drug overdose 
reversal agents, such as naloxone. 
(2) Training first responders, other individuals 
in a position to respond to an overdose, and law en-
forcement and corrections officials on the effective 
response to individuals who have overdosed on 
drugs. 
(3) Implementing programs to provide overdose 
prevention, recognition, treatment, or response to in-
dividuals in need of such services. 
(4) Evaluating, expanding, or replicating a pro-
gram described in paragraph (1) or (2). 
(e) REPORT.—As a condition on receipt of a grant 
or cooperative agreement under this section, an eligible en-
tity shall agree to prepare and submit, not later than 90 
days after the end of the grant or cooperative agreement 
period, a report to the Director describing the results of 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
05:02 Jun 13, 2009
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2855.IH
H2855
smartinez on PROD1PC64 with BILLS
the activities supported through the grant or cooperative 
agreement. 
(f) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
$27,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2010 and 2011, 
and such sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal 
years 2012 through 2014. 
SEC. 4. SENTINEL SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM. 
(a) DATA COLLECTION.—The Director of the Centers 
for Disease Control and Prevention shall annually compile 
and publish data on both fatal and nonfatal overdoses of 
drugs for the preceding year. To the extent possible, the 
data shall be collected from all county, State, and tribal 
governments, the Federal Government, and private 
sources, shall be made available in the form of an Internet 
database that is accessible to the public, and shall in-
clude— 
(1) identification of the underlying drugs that 
led to fatal overdose; 
(2) identification of substance level specificity 
where possible; 
(3) analysis of trends in polydrug use in over-
dose victims, as well as identification of emerging 
overdose patterns; 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
05:02 Jun 13, 2009
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2855.IH
H2855
smartinez on PROD1PC64 with BILLS
(4) results of toxicology screenings in fatal 
overdoses routinely conducted by State medical ex-
aminers; 
(5) identification of— 
(A) drugs that were involved in both fatal 
and nonfatal unintentional poisonings; and 
(B) the number and percentage of such 
poisonings by drug; and 
(6) identification of the type of place where un-
intentional drug poisonings occur, as well as the age, 
race, and gender of victims. 
(b) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
$5,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2010 and 2011, 
and such sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal 
years 2012 through 2014. 
SEC. 5. SURVEILLANCE CAPACITY BUILDING. 
(a) PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.—The Director of the 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shall award 
grants or cooperative agreements to State, local, or tribal 
governments to improve fatal and nonfatal drug overdose 
surveillance capabilities, including the following: 
(1) Implementing or enhancing the material ca-
pacity of a coroner or medical examiner’s office to 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
05:02 Jun 13, 2009
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2855.IH
H2855
smartinez on PROD1PC64 with BILLS
conduct toxicological screenings where drug overdose 
is the suspected cause of death. 
(2) Training and other educational activities to 
improve identification of drug overdose as the cause 
of death by coroners and medical examiners. 
(3) Hiring epidemiologists and toxicologists to 
analyze and report on fatal and nonfatal drug over-
dose trends. 
(4) Purchasing resources and equipment that 
directly aid drug overdose surveillance and reporting. 
(b) APPLICATION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—A State, local, or tribal gov-
ernment desiring a grant or cooperative agreement 
under this section shall submit to the Director an 
application at such time, in such manner, and con-
taining such information as the Director may re-
quire. 
(2) CONTENTS.—The application described in 
paragraph (1) shall include— 
(A) a description of the activities to be 
funded through the grant or cooperative agree-
ment; and 
(B) a demonstration that the State, local, 
or tribal government has the capacity to carry 
out such activities. 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
05:02 Jun 13, 2009
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2855.IH
H2855
smartinez on PROD1PC64 with BILLS