HR 3171 — Safe Disposal of Opioids Act of 2019

Summary

Safe Disposal of Opioids Act of 2019 This bill directs the Department of Justice to award grants to establish or maintain disposal sites for unwanted prescription medications. Additionally, the bill imposes a fee on the sale of an active opioid by the manufacturer, producer, or importer. The Department of Health and Human Services must establish a mechanism to provide discounts to patients to ensure that they do not pay the fee.

Bill Text

• Introduced Introduced in House Current html June 10, 2019

Compared against current U.S. Code AI-generated reading aid — verify against the official bill.

The bill adds provisions for the Attorney General to award grants to covered entities for establishing or maintaining disposal sites for unwanted prescription medications.

• 21 U.S.C. 822a

  (c) Grants for Disposal Sites for Unwanted Prescription Medications.-- (1) Grants.-- (A) Awards.--In carrying out subsection (b), the Attorney General shall award grants to covered entities to establish or maintain disposal sites for unwanted prescription medications. (B) Limitation.--Of the total amount of awards under subparagraph (A) for a fiscal year, the Attorney General shall not award more than 10 percent to covered entities that are-- (i) State, local, or tribal law enforcement agencies; or (ii) manufacturers, distributors, or reverse distributors of prescription medications. (2) Discounts for eligible patients.-- (A) In general.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall establish a mechanism by which amounts paid by an eligible patient for an active opioid are discounted at time of payment or purchase to ensure that such patient does not pay any amount attributable to a fee under paragraph (3), with as little burden on the patient as possible. (B) Definition.--For purposes of subparagraph (A), the term `eligible patient' means-- (i) a patient for whom any active opioid (as so defined) is prescribed to treat pain relating to cancer or cancer treatment; (ii) a patient participating in hospice care; and (iii) in the case of the death or incapacity of a patient described in subparagraph (A) or (B) or any similar situation as determined by the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the appropriate family member, medical proxy, or similar representative or the estate of such patient. (3) Fees.-- (A) In general.--There is hereby imposed on the sale of any active opioid by the manufacturer, producer, or importer a fee equal to 1 cent per 100 milligrams so sold. (B) Special rules.-- (i) Definition.--In this paragraph, the term `active opioid'-- (I) means any controlled substance (as defined in section 102 of the Controlled Substances Act, as in effect on the date of the Safe Disposal of Opioids Act of 2019) which is opium, an opiate, or any derivative thereof; (II) excludes any prescribed drug which is used exclusively for the treatment of opioid addiction as part of a medically assisted treatment effort. (ii) Exclusion of other ingredients.--In the case of a product that includes an active opioid and another ingredient, subparagraph (A) shall apply only to the portion of such product that is an active opioid. (4) Authorization of appropriations.--For fiscal year 2020 and each subsequent fiscal year, there is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this subsection an amount not to exceed the aggregate amount of the fees collected pursuant to paragraph (3).

  This change establishes a framework for grants aimed at enhancing the disposal of unwanted prescription medications and introduces fees related to active opioids.

Action History

1. June 10, 2019

   Introduced in House

2. June 10, 2019

   Introduced in House

3. June 10, 2019

   Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

4. June 11, 2019

   Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

Sponsors

• Suzanne Bonamici · Primary

Subjects