What This Bill Does
This bill changes the rules for comprehensive opioid recovery centers, which are centers that help people with opioid use disorders (addiction to opioid drugs). The bill extends the time period during which the federal government will fund these centers. The bill also makes it easier for centers to meet requirements by allowing them to partner with other organizations to provide treatment services.
Who It Affects
Comprehensive opioid recovery centers. Partner agencies including non-governmental organizations and public or private entities that provide mental health or substance use disorder treatment services. The federal government agency that oversees these centers (called "the Secretary").
Key Provisions
• The federal funding period for comprehensive opioid recovery centers extends from 2024 through 2028 instead of 2019 through 2023. (Sec. 2(a))
• Centers can provide proof of their ability to help patients by submitting a letter of intent from partner agencies or other documentation approved by the federal government. (Sec. 2(b))
• A "partner agency" means a non-governmental organization or other public or private entity whose main purpose is delivering mental health or substance use disorder treatment services. (Sec. 2(b))
• Centers can carry out required activities directly, through referral, or through contractual arrangements with other organizations. (Sec. 2(c))
What Changes
The funding timeline for these centers shifts forward by one year. Centers gain flexibility to work with partner organizations instead of providing all treatment services themselves on site.
Important Definitions
Partner agency: A non-governmental organization or other public or private entity whose primary purpose is delivering mental health or substance use disorder treatment services, with which an applicant coordinates to provide the full continuum of treatment services.
I
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION H. R. 1502
To amend title V of the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize
comprehensive opioid recovery centers, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH 9, 2023
Mr. GUTHRIE (for himself, Mr. PETERS, Mr. BUCSHON, and Mr. TONKO) in-
troduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on En-
ergy and Commerce
A BILL
To amend title V of the Public Health Service Act to reau-
thorize comprehensive opioid recovery centers, and for
other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
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tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Comprehensive Opioid
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Recovery Centers Reauthorization Act of 2023’’.
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SEC. 2. COMPREHENSIVE OPIOID RECOVERY CENTERS.
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(a) REAUTHORIZATION.—Section 552(j) of the Public
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Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290ee–7(j)) is amended by
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•HR 1502 IH
striking ‘‘2019 through 2023’’ and inserting ‘‘2024
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through 2028’’.
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(b) DOCUMENTATION FOR EVIDENCE OF CAPACITY
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TO CARRY OUT REQUIRED ACTIVITIES.—Section 552(d)
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of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290ee–7(d))
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is amended by adding at the end the following:
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‘‘(3) DOCUMENTATION.—
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‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Evidence required to
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be provided under paragraph (1) may be pro-
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vided through a letter of intent from partner
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agencies or other relevant documentation (as
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defined by the Secretary).
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‘‘(B) PARTNER AGENCY DEFINED.—In this
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paragraph, the term ‘partner agency’ means a
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non-governmental organization or other public
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or private entity—
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‘‘(i) the primary purpose of which is
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the delivery of mental health or substance
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use disorder treatment services; and
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‘‘(ii) with which the applicant coordi-
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nates to provide the full continuum of
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treatment services (as specified in sub-
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section (g)(1)(B)) that the applicant is un-
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able to offer on site.’’.
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(c) CENTER ACTIVITIES CARRIED OUT THROUGH
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THIRD PARTIES.—Section 552(g) of the Public Health
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Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290ee–7(g)) is amended in the
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matter preceding paragraph (1) by striking ‘‘Each Center
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shall’’ and all that follows through ‘‘subsection (f):’’ and
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inserting the following: ‘‘Each Center shall, at a minimum,
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carry out the activities specified in this subsection directly,
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through referral, or through contractual arrangements. If
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a Center elects to carry out such activities through con-
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tractual arrangements, the Secretary may issue guidance
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on best practices to ensure that the Center is capable of
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carrying out such activities, including carrying out such
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activities through technology-enabled collaborative learn-
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ing and capacity building models described in subsection
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(f) and coordinating the full continuum of treatment serv-
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ices specified in subparagraph (B). Such activities include
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the following:’’.
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Æ
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