House Takes Action on the Opioid Crisis This Week

This week, the House of Representatives passed important legislation co-sponsored by Congressman John Moolenaar that will address America's opioid crisis. The legislation advanced as part of the House's work this week passing more than 30 bills to respond to the epidemic.

Congressman Moolenaar made the following statement on the legislation he supported this week:

"The opioid crisis has affected people across mid and northern Michigan. That's why I supported legislation this week that advances medical research that will help patients recover without the addictive power of opioids. The legislation will also empower health professionals with the abilities they need to safely dispose of opioids and help at-risk patients. These solutions are patient-focused and will prevent opioid abuse in our communities."

Congressman Moolenaar is a co-sponsor of the following bills that passed this week.

H.R. 5002 - The ACE Research Act: This legislation provides the National Institutes of Health (NIH) with new, flexible authorities to conduct innovative research and spur urgently needed research on new non-addictive pain medications. The legislation passed unanimously on June 17.

H.R. 5009 - Jessie's Law: This legislation will ensure medical professionals have access to a consenting patient's complete health history when making treatment decisions by requiring the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop and disseminate best practices regarding the prominent display of substance use disorder (SUD) history in patient records of patients who have previously provided this information to a health care provider. The legislation passed unanimously on June 12.

H.R. 5041 - Safe Disposal of Unused Medication Act: This legislation will help reduce the number of unused controlled substances at risk of diversion or misuse by allowing hospice employees to safely dispose of these medications on site after the death of a patient. The legislation passed unanimously on June 12.

Additionally, Congressman Moolenaar is a member of the House Appropriations Committee and this week the committee introduced legislation will fund efforts at the Department of Health and Human Services, the Centers for Disease Control and the National Institutes of Health in the 2019 federal budget. The legislation will be considered by the committee next week. More information on this funding legislation is available here.

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