Title: Federal Opioid Response Fairness Act of 2018
Policy area: Health

Summary:
Federal Opioid Response Fairness Act of 2018
This bill amends the 21st Century Cures Act to alter the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration opioid grant program for states. Specifically, the bill alters the criteria for the award of grants by prioritizing states with a comparatively high prevalence of opioid-disorder adverse health effects and per capita overdose mortality rates. The bill also establishes a minimum amount for each grant.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5109 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5109

      To amend the 21st Century Cures Act to ensure the equitable 
distribution of resources to address the opioid epidemic, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 27, 2018

Ms. Kuster of New Hampshire (for herself, Mr. Jenkins of West Virginia, 
  Mr. McKinley, Ms. Blunt Rochester, Mr. Poliquin, and Mr. Courtney) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                          Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
      To amend the 21st Century Cures Act to ensure the equitable 
distribution of resources to address the opioid epidemic, 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.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Federal Opioid Response Fairness Act 
of 2018''.

SEC. 2. EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION OF RESOURCES TO ADDRESS THE OPIOID 
              EPIDEMIC.

    (a) In General.--The second sentence in paragraph (1) of section 
1003(c) of the 21st Century Cures Act (Public Law 114-255; 42 U.S.C. 
290ee-3 note) is amended by striking ``States with an incidence or 
prevalence of opioid use disorders that is substantially higher 
relative to other States.'' and inserting ``States--''
                    ``(A) with a prevalence of opioid use disorders and 
                associated adverse health effects, including neonatal 
                abstinence syndrome, that is substantially higher 
                relative to other States; and
                    ``(B) with a per capita prescription opioid, 
                heroin, or synthetic opioid overdose mortality rate 
                that is substantially higher relative to other 
                States.''.
    (b) Minimum Amount of Grants.--Section 1003(c) of the 21st Century 
Cures Act (Public Law 114-255; 42 U.S.C. 290ee-3 note) is amended by 
adding at the end the following new paragraph:
            ``(3) Minimum amount of grants.--Subject to the 
        availability of appropriations, the amount of a grant awarded 
        under this subsection shall not be less than $5,000,000.''.
    (c) Technical Amendment.--The first sentence in paragraph (1) of 
section 1003(c) of the 21st Century Cures Act (Public Law 114-255; 42 
U.S.C. 290ee-3 note) is amended by striking ``in accordance with 
subparagraph (B)'' and inserting ``in accordance with paragraph (2)''.
    (d) Effective Date.--The amendments made by subsections (a) and (b) 
shall take effect on October 1, 2018.
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