Goodlatte Statement at Markup of the "Opioid Program Evaluation Act"
April 27, 2016
Chairman Goodlatte: H.R. 5052 is a bill that will require an evaluation of the Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Reduction Grant Program authorized by H.R. 5046 and a number of complementary bills authorizing grants to address opioid abuse that have been marked up by the House Energy and Commerce Committee. This is a bipartisan bill sponsored by Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Minority Whip Steny Hoyer.
The Opioid Program Evaluation Act, or “OPEN Act,” requires the Attorney General and Secretary of Health and Human Services to enter into an arrangement with the National Academy of Sciences to—
- identify outcomes that are to be achieved by the activities funded by Congress to address opioid abuse;
- develop the metrics by which each program’s performance will be evaluated;
- complete an interim evaluation assessing the nature and extent of opioid abuse and illegal opioid distribution in the United State; and
- carry out an evaluation of the effectiveness of the programs.