Title: Opioid ECHO Act
Policy area: Health

Summary:
Opioid ECHO Act
This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to award grants to train health professionals to treat opioid addiction and other substance abuse disorders, including by providing medication-assisted treatment, through the use of technology-enabled models. (Technology-enabled models are distance health education models that connect specialists with other health professionals through interactive videoconferencing to facilitate case-based learning, disseminate best practices, and evaluate outcomes.)

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2606 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2606

 To require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants 
 for training health professionals to treat opioid addiction and other 
 substance use disorders through using technology-enabled models, and 
                          for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 22, 2018

  Mr. Schatz (for himself, Mrs. Capito, and Mr. Udall) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                 Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants 
 for training health professionals to treat opioid addiction and other 
 substance use disorders through using technology-enabled models, 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 ``Opioid ECHO Act''.

SEC. 2. GRANTS TO TRAIN HEALTH PROFESSIONALS TO TREAT OPIOID ADDICTION.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services, in 
coordination with the Administrator of the Health Resources and 
Services Administration and the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health 
and Substance Use, shall award grants on a competitive basis to 
eligible entities for the purpose of training health professionals to 
treat opioid addiction and other substance use disorders, including by 
providing medication-assisted treatment, through the use of technology-
enabled models.
    (b) Duration.--Each grant awarded under this section shall be for a 
period of 3 years.
    (c) Definitions.--For purposes of this section:
            (1) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means a 
        nonprofit organization, an academic institution, a State, a 
        Federally qualified health center as defined in section 
        1861(aa) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(aa)), or 
        other entity determined appropriate by the Secretary of Health 
        and Human Services.
            (2) Technology-enabled model.--The term ``technology-
        enabled model'' means a technology-enabled collaborative 
        learning and capacity building model, as defined in section 2 
        of the Expanding Capacity for Health Outcomes Act (Public Law 
        114-270; 130 Stat. 1395).
    (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section, $10,000,000 for the period of 
fiscal years 2018 through 2020.
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