WASHINGTON, DC – Building on the committee’s bipartisan #RecordOfSuccess, the U.S. House of Representatives today approved three more public health bills. The bills collectively seek to boost mental health care, combat the rise in prenatal opioid abuse, and bring consistency to pharmaceutical reviews while protecting manufacturing jobs.

Following House passage, full committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) commented, “Today, we build upon our bipartisan record of success in public health. These bills address critical issues for Michigan and the nation – mental health, opioid abuse, and transparency and consistency in the review process of medicines. I am also pleased an important component of 21st Century Cures that will protect U.S. manufacturing jobs is now headed to the president. Our work continues on these fronts, but today’s vote is an important step in ensuring proper resources are available in a timely manner to help folks in need.”

The three bills passed by the House today were:

• S. 599, the Improving Access to Emergency Psychiatric Care Act, will extend the Medicaid Emergency Psychiatric Demonstration program for any requesting states that are eligible to participate. The bill will help states to offer timely care to individuals in need of mental health care and assistance. S. 599, which passed by voice vote, will next be considered by the Senate.


• S. 799, the Protecting Our Infants Act of 2015, will require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct a review to identify possible gaps in the research, prevention, and treatment of prenatal opioid abuse and infants born experiencing withdrawal. Companion legislation, H.R. 1462, previously passed the House in early September. S. 799, which passed by voice vote, will now go to the president to be signed into law.


• H.R. 639, the Improving Regulatory Transparency for New Medical Therapies Act, will improve the transparency and consistency of the Drug Enforcement Agency’s scheduling of FDA-approved treatments so these drugs can get to patients more efficiently. Sponsored by Health Subcommittee Chair Joseph Pitts (R-PA), H.R. 639 first passed the House in March and was amended by the Senate in late October. The legislation also includes H.R. 2340, which previously passed the House as part of H.R. 6, the 21st Century Cures Act. Currently, the Controlled Substances Import and Export Act places burdensome requirements on American pharmaceutical companies operating abroad. When enacted, this bill will put companies manufacturing drug products that contain controlled substances in the U.S. on an equal playing field with foreign manufacturers who are not subject to similar export restrictions. Quite simply, by including the language from H.R. 2340, H.R 639 will keep manufacturing jobs from going overseas. Following today’s approval by unanimous consent, H.R. 639 now heads to the to the president to be signed into law.

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