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To amend the Controlled Substances Act to allow for the use of telehealth in substance use disorder treatment, and for other purposes.
Summary
This bill amends the Controlled Substances Act to allow telehealth evaluations for prescribing controlled substances used to treat substance use disorders. Under the bill, practitioners may conduct telehealth evaluations in addition to required in-person evaluations when prescribing Schedule III, IV, or V controlled substances that the FDA has approved for substance use disorder treatment. Telehealth evaluations are defined as remote medical evaluations conducted through audio-only or audio-video telecommunications that enable real-time two-way communication between the practitioner and patient.
AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.
Sponsor (1)
31 cosponsors
- Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large] (D-DC)
- Rep. Bacon, Don [R-NE-2] (R-NE)
- Rep. Balint, Becca [D-VT-At Large] (D-VT)
- Rep. Barragán, Nanette Diaz [D-CA-44] (D-CA)
- Rep. Cohen, Steve [D-TN-9] (D-TN)
- Rep. Connolly, Gerald E. [D-VA-11] (D-VA)
- Rep. Craig, Angie [D-MN-2] (D-MN)
- Rep. Davis, Donald G. [D-NC-1] (D-NC)
- Rep. Deluzio, Christopher R. [D-PA-17] (D-PA)
- Rep. Dingell, Debbie [D-MI-6] (D-MI)
- Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1] (R-PA)
- Rep. Harder, Josh [D-CA-9] (D-CA)
- Rep. Houlahan, Chrissy [D-PA-6] (D-PA)
- Rep. Jackson, Jonathan L. [D-IL-1] (D-IL)
- Rep. Johnson, Henry C. "Hank" [D-GA-4] (D-GA)
- Rep. Keating, William R. [D-MA-9] (D-MA)
- Rep. Kiggans, Jennifer A. [R-VA-2] (R-VA)
- Rep. Lawler, Michael [R-NY-17] (R-NY)
- Rep. Liccardo, Sam T. [D-CA-16] (D-CA)
- Rep. Miller, Carol D. [R-WV-1] (R-WV)
- Rep. Moulton, Seth [D-MA-6] (D-MA)
- Rep. Obernolte, Jay [R-CA-23] (R-CA)
- Rep. Pettersen, Brittany [D-CO-7] (D-CO)
- Rep. Scanlon, Mary Gay [D-PA-5] (D-PA)
- Rep. Tenney, Claudia [R-NY-24] (R-NY)
- Rep. Thompson, Glenn [R-PA-15] (R-PA)
- Rep. Tokuda, Jill N. [D-HI-2] (D-HI)
- Rep. Tonko, Paul [D-NY-20] (D-NY)
- Rep. Torres, Ritchie [D-NY-15] (D-NY)
- Rep. Trahan, Lori [D-MA-3] (D-MA)
- Rep. Wasserman Schultz, Debbie [D-FL-25] (D-FL)
Money behind the sponsor
Top reported contributors to Donald Norcross’s campaign committee (2024 cycle) — who funds the bill’s sponsor, not a claim about this bill. Data from FEC.
- WESTERN EXTRUSIONS $26,000
- HOLTEC INTERNATIONAL $14,150
- COOPER UNIVERSITY HEALTH CARE $13,200
- CURRENT MASTER ELECTRIC $13,200
- BACH ASSOCIATES, PC $13,200
Organizations whose employees gave the most — itemized individual contributions grouped by the donor’s reported employer (FEC Schedule A). Full finance for Donald Norcross → · Outside spending →
Actions (2)
- Feb 26, 2025 Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned. · house
- Feb 26, 2025 Introduced in House
More bills on these subjects (8)
Other bills that carry the most legislative subjects in common with this one (topical discovery — distinct from the procedural related bills above).
Similar bills (6)
Bills with similar text or summary — includes reintroductions across Congresses. Ranked by semantic similarity of the bill text (computed locally); a neutral discovery aid, not a claim the bills are duplicates.
Text versions (1)
Bills are re-published as they move (Introduced → Reported → Engrossed → Enrolled …). Each stage below is a separate text; pick two to see what changed. Data from Congress.gov.
Full text
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 26, 2025
Mr. Norcross (for himself and Mr. Fitzpatrick) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
A BILL
To amend the Controlled Substances Act to allow for the use of telehealth in substance use disorder treatment, 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 “Telehealth Response for E- prescribing Addiction Therapy Services Act” or the “TREATS Act”.
SEC. 2. TELEHEALTH FOR SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER TREATMENT.
Section 309(e)(2) of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 829(e)(2)) is amended—
(1) in subparagraph (A)(i)—
(A) by striking “at least 1 in-person medical evaluation” and inserting the following: “at least—
“(I) 1 in-person medical evaluation”; and
(B) by adding at the end the following:
“(II) for purposes of prescribing a controlled substance in schedule III, IV, or V that has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of a substance use disorder, 1 telehealth evaluation of the patient; or”; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
“(D) The term ‘telehealth evaluation’ means a medical evaluation that is conducted in accordance with applicable Federal and State laws by a practitioner (other than a pharmacist) who is at a location remote from the patient and is communicating with the patient, or a practitioner who is treating the patient, using a telecommunications system referred to in section 1834(m) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395m(m)) that includes audio-only or audio and video equipment permitting two-way, real-time interactive communication between the distant site practitioner and the patient, or the practitioner who is treating the patient.”. <all>
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