Title: Combating the Opioid Epidemic Act
Policy area: Health

Summary:
Combating the Opioid Epidemic Act
This bill amends the 21st Century Cures Act to provide additional funds through FY2027 for state grants to address the opioid abuse crisis.
The bill provides funds to the Department of Health and Human Services through FY2022 for state grants to conduct research on addiction and pain related to substance misuse.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2004 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2004

To increase funding for the State response to the opioid misuse crisis 
 and to provide funding for research on addiction and pain related to 
                      the substance misuse crisis.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            October 25, 2017

  Mr. Casey (for himself, Mr. Markey, Ms. Hassan, Mr. Heinrich, Mrs. 
  Shaheen, Mr. Kaine, Mrs. Feinstein, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Franken, Mr. 
King, Ms. Baldwin, Ms. Warren, Mr. Brown, Mr. Menendez, Ms. Harris, Mr. 
 Udall, and Mr. Nelson) introduced the following bill; which was read 
 twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and 
                                Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To increase funding for the State response to the opioid misuse crisis 
 and to provide funding for research on addiction and pain related to 
                      the substance misuse crisis.

    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 ``Combating the Opioid Epidemic Act''.

SEC. 2. ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR THE STATE RESPONSE.

    (a) Funding.--Section 1003 of the 21st Century Cures Act (42 U.S.C. 
290ee-3 note) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a), by striking ``under subsection (b)'' 
        and inserting ``under subsection (b)(3) and the appropriations 
        under subsection (b)(4)'';
            (2) in subsection (b), by adding at the end the following:
            ``(4) Additional appropriations.--In addition to the 
        amounts transferred to the Account under paragraph (2)(A), 
        there are authorized to be appropriated, and there are 
        appropriated, to the Secretary, out of monies in the Treasury 
        not otherwise obligated, $4,474,800,000 for each of fiscal 
        years 2018 through 2027, to carry out the grant program 
        described in subsection (c). Such funds shall remain available 
        until expended.''; and
            (3) by striking subsection (f).
    (b) Activities.--Section 1003(c)(1) of the 21st Century Cures Act 
(42 U.S.C. 290ee-3 note) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subparagraph (E) as subparagraph (G); 
        and
            (2) by inserting after subparagraph (D) the following:
                    ``(E) Detection, surveillance, and treatment of co-
                occurring infections associated with the opioid 
                epidemic, including hepatitis C and HIV.
                    ``(F) Surveillance, data collection, and timely and 
                consistent reporting on the number of opioid overdose 
                deaths, including the incidence and prevalence of co-
                occurring infections and toxicology reporting on the 
                number of deaths where fentanyl or other illicit opioid 
                analogs were detected.''.

SEC. 3. GRANTS FOR RESEARCH ON ADDICTION AND PAIN.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services 
(referred to in this section as the ``Secretary'') shall use any funds 
appropriated under subsection (b) to award grants for the purpose of 
conducting research on addiction and pain related to substance misuse. 
The Secretary, acting through the Director of the National Institutes 
of Health, shall determine the amount of each grant awarded under this 
section.
    (b) Appropriations.--There are authorized to be appropriated, and 
there are appropriated, to the Secretary, out of monies in the Treasury 
not otherwise obligated, $50,400,000 for each of fiscal years 2018 
through 2022, to carry out the grant program described in subsection 
(a). Such funds shall remain available until expended.
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