House subcommittee approves bill to address newborn opioid dependency

The House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee today approved by voice vote the AHA-supported Protecting Our Infants Act (H.R. 1462). The bipartisan legislation, sponsored by Rep. Katherine Clark (D-MA) would direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop a strategy and recommendations to decrease the number of infants with opioid dependency, and would encourage the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to work with states to improve the public health response to this epidemic. “Research has shown the incidence of infants born dependent on opioids has increased at least 300% over the past 15 years,” AHA Executive Vice President Rick Pollack said in a recent letter of support for the bill. “Your legislation is a positive step toward addressing this critical public health issue.” H.R. 1462 has 90 cosponsors, and the companion bill, introduced by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), has 18 cosponsors.