METH Addiction Act

Modernizing Eligible Treatment centers for Healing Addiction Act of 2019 or the METH Addiction Act

This bill directs the Drug Enforcement Administration to register certain community addiction-treatment facilities and community mental-health centers to administer controlled substances via telemedicine.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2244 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2244

  To amend the Controlled Substances Act to allow community addiction 
treatment facilities and community mental health facilities to register 
to dispense controlled substances through the practice of telemedicine, 
                        and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 24, 2019

  Mr. Roberts introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
  referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend the Controlled Substances Act to allow community addiction 
treatment facilities and community mental health facilities to register 
to dispense controlled substances through the practice of telemedicine, 
                        and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Modernizing Eligible Treatment 
centers for Healing Addiction Act of 2019'' or the ``METH Addiction 
Act''.

SEC. 2. REGISTRATION OF COMMUNITY ADDICTION TREATMENT FACILITIES AND 
              COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH FACILITIES.

    (a) Definitions.--Section 102 of the Controlled Substances Act (21 
U.S.C. 802) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (54)(A), by striking clause (i) and 
        inserting the following:
                    ``(i) while the patient is being treated by, and 
                physically located in--
                            ``(I) a hospital or clinic registered under 
                        section 303(f); or
                            ``(II) a community addiction treatment 
                        facility or community mental health facility 
                        registered under section 303(l); and'';
            (2) by redesignating paragraph (58) as paragraph (59);
            (3) by redesignating the second paragraph designated as 
        paragraph (57) as paragraph (58);
            (4) by moving paragraphs (57), (58) (as so redesignated), 
        and (59) (as so redesignated) 2 ems to the left; and
            (5) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(60) The term `community addiction treatment facility' means an 
addiction treatment facility that, for the purpose of operating as an 
addiction treatment facility, is licensed, operated, authorized, or 
otherwise recognized by a State government.
    ``(61) The term `community mental health facility' means a mental 
health facility that, for the purpose of operating as a mental health 
facility, is licensed, operated, authorized, or otherwise recognized by 
a State government.''.
    (b) Registration.--Section 303 of the Controlled Substances Act (21 
U.S.C. 823) is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(l) Community Addiction Treatment Facilities and Community Mental 
Health Facilities.--
            ``(1) Registration.--The Attorney General may register 
        community addiction treatment facilities and community mental 
        health facilities to administer controlled substances through 
        the practice of telemedicine.
            ``(2) Denial of applications.--The Attorney General may 
        deny an application for registration under paragraph (1) if the 
        Attorney General determines that the registration would be 
        inconsistent with the public interest after considering--
                    ``(A) any recommendation by the licensing board or 
                professional disciplinary authority of the State in 
                which the applicant is located;
                    ``(B) the experience of the applicant in treating 
                patients;
                    ``(C) any conviction of an employee of the 
                applicant under Federal or State law relating to 
                treatment of patients;
                    ``(D) the compliance of the applicant with 
                applicable Federal, State, or local laws relating to 
                treatment of patients; and
                    ``(E) any other conduct by the applicant that may 
                threaten the health and safety of the public.''.
    (c) Implementation Plan.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Attorney General shall notify Congress of 
the plan of the Department of Justice to implement the amendments made 
by this Act.
    (d) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this Act shall take 
effect on the date that is 180 days after the date on which the 
Attorney General notifies Congress under subsection (c).
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