STOP Stigma Act
Bill: H.R.4244 | Sponsor: Rep. Trone, David J. (D-MD)
Policy area: Health

Summary:
Stopping Titles that Overtly Perpetuate Stigma Act or the STOP Stigma Act
This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to issue guidance for renaming the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, and other agencies and programs with names that contain stigmatizing terms such as abuse, addict, or alcoholic.
HHS must also provide Congress with an assessment of the cost of such name changes and recommendations to revise federal laws to rename agencies or programs that are designated in statute.

To make amendments to the names of certain agencies to help end the 
   stigmatization of substance use disorder, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; FINDINGS.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Stopping Titles 
that Overtly Perpetuate Stigma Act'' or the ``STOP Stigma Act''.
    (b) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) Stigma surrounding substance use disorder negatively 
        affects access to care and has a detrimental effect on 
        treatment outcomes.
            (2) The language used to discuss substance use disorder can 
        contribute to this stigma.
            (3) Several agencies and a grant within the Department of 
        Health and Human Services use stigmatizing language in their 
        titles.

SEC. 2. ENDING STIGMATIZATION OF SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER.

    (a) Guidance.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human 
        Services (referred to in this section as the ``Secretary'') 
        shall issue guidance proposing new names for covered agencies 
        and programs.
            (2) Excluded terms.--The guidance issued under paragraph 
        (1) shall not propose a name for a covered agency or program 
        that contains a term identified by the National Institute on 
        Drug Abuse as stigmatizing, including the following:
                    (A) Abuse (including substance abuse, substance 
                abuser, drug abuse, and drug abuser).
                    (B) Addict (including former addict and reformed 
                addict).
                    (C) Alcoholic.
                    (D) Other stigmatizing terms with respect to 
                substance use, such as ``clean'', ``dirty'', and 
                ``habit''.
    (b) Stakeholder Feedback.--In developing the guidance under 
subsection (a), the Secretary shall provide for opportunities for input 
on such guidance from relevant stakeholder groups.
    (c) Transmission to Congress.--The Secretary shall transmit to the 
Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Committee on Appropriations of 
the House of Representatives and the Committee on Health, Education, 
Labor and Pensions and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate--
            (1) the guidance issued under subsection (a);
            (2) an assessment of the cost of changing the names of 
        covered agencies and programs as proposed in such guidance; and
            (3) the Secretary's recommendations for changes to Federal 
        law to change the names of covered agencies and programs as 
        proposed in such guidance.
    (d) Covered Agency or Program Defined.--In this section, the term 
``covered agency or program'' means each of the following agencies of 
the Department of Health and Human Services and programs administered 
by the Secretary of Health and Human Services:
            (1) Within the National Institutes of Health, the 
        following:
                    (A) The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and 
                Alcoholism designated under paragraph (12) of section 
                401(b) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
                281).
                    (B) The National Institute on Drug Abuse designated 
                under paragraph (13) of such section.
                    (C) The National Drug Abuse Research Centers 
                designated under section 464 of the Public Health 
                Service Act (42 U.S.C. 285o-2).
                    (D) The National Drug Abuse Training Center 
                established under section 412 of the Drug Abuse Office 
                and Treatment Act of 1972 (21 U.S.C. 1179).
            (2) The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services 
        Administration and each of the following agencies of, and 
        program carried out by, such Administration:
                    (A) The National Center on Substance Abuse and 
                Child Welfare.
                    (B) The Center for Substance Abuse Prevention 
                established under section 515 of the Public Health 
                Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290bb-21).
                    (C) The Center for Substance Abuse Treatment 
                established under section 507 of the Public Health 
                Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290bb).
                    (D) The program providing for block grants for the 
                prevention and treatment of substance abuse established 
                under subpart II of part B of title XIX of the Public 
                Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300x-21 et seq.)
            (3) Such other agency, service, office, or program of the 
        Department as the Secretary may specify.
                                 <all>