Sec. 3. Development of best practices
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Not later than 120 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services (referred to in this section as the Secretary ), in cooperation with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, the Secretary of Defense, the Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the Attorney General of the United States, shall convene an Interagency Task Force to Address Opioid Abuse (referred to in this section as the Task Force ).
The Task Force shall— be comprised of two representatives of each the Department of Health and Human Services, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Defense, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Office of National Drug Control Policy, the National Academy of Medicine, the National Institutes of Health, the Indian Health Service, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration; and include physicians, dentists, non-physician prescribers, pharmacists, experts in the fields of pain research and addiction research, and representatives of the mental health treatment community, the addiction treatment community, and pain advocacy groups.
Not later than 180 days after the date on which the Task Force is convened, the Task Force shall— develop best practices for pain management and prescription medication prescribing practices, taking into consideration recommendations from— relevant conferences; ongoing efforts at the State and local levels; and medical professional organizations to develop improved pain management strategies; solicit and take into consideration public comments on the best practices developed under subparagraph (A); develop a strategy for disseminating information about the best practices under subparagraph
(A)to all medical and emergency personnel who enforce, prescribe, and treat opioid and heroin addiction; and conduct a study on the feasibility of implementing the best practices developed under subparagraph (A). Not later than 270 days after the date on which the Task Force is convened, the Task Force shall submit to the Congress a report that includes— the strategy under paragraph (1)(C) for disseminating the best practices under paragraph (1)(A); the results of the feasibility study conducted under paragraph (1)(D); and recommendations on how to apply such best practices to improve prescribing practices at medical facilities, including medical facilities of the Veterans Health Administration. The Task Force shall not have rulemaking authority.