H.R. 5842: Helping Our Veterans with Chronic Pain and Opioid Addiction Act of 2016

114th Congress · introduced 2016-07-14 · Armed Forces and National Security · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2016-07-14 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Kuster, Ann M. [D-NH-2] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Helping Our Veterans with Chronic Pain and Opioid Addiction Act of 2016

Plain summary

Helping Our Veterans with Chronic Pain and Opioid Addiction Act of 2016 This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to conduct a three-year pilot program to provide health and social services and coordination of care and case management to covered veterans in need of treatment for opioid addiction and chronic pain through VA facilities and through qualified non-VA health care providers. A "covered veteran" is a veteran who is enrolled in the veterans' health care system and eligible for hospital, nursing home, and domiciliary care under such system. The pilot program shall be carried out in at least five different states with VA medical facilities that demonstrate: (1) the need for additional resources to provide health care services to veterans for opioid abuse, (2) the highest rates per capita of opioid addiction in the United States, and (3) a lack of sufficient VA capacity to meet the demand for such treatment. Under such program, the VA: (1) may enter into contracts with non-VA providers to provide health care services to veterans, and (2) shall provide for the exchange of medical information between the VA and any such provider. The VA shall conduct concurrent assessments of its capabilities and the capabilities of community providers to provide health care services for the treatment of veterans with opioid dependency abuse or chronic pain. The VA shall: (1) require all appropriate VA health care facilities and all VA facilities providing mental health and social services to veterans to have a supply of naloxone or other medication for reversing opioid overdose, and (2) ensure that all appropriate employees at such facilities receive training on the administration of such medication.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

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If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

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What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Helping Our Veterans with Chronic Pain and Opioid Addiction Act of 2016

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Kuster, Ann M. [D-NH-2] · 2 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Mark Takano (D-CA)

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (2)

Appropriation: Money a legislature sets aside by law for a specific purpose. Government agencies may spend public money only as it has been appropriated.
Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-114hr5842.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/114/hr>

Record fed-us-cong114-hr5842 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong114 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong114