S. 1584: Opioid Crisis Accountability Act of 2019

116th Congress · introduced 2019-05-21 · Health · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2019-05-21 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Sanders, Bernard [I-VT] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. 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

Opioid Crisis Accountability Act of 2019

Plain summary

Opioid Crisis Accountability Act of 2019 This bill establishes a series of restrictions and requirements relating to opioid marketing and distribution practices. Specifically, the bill prohibits (1) knowingly making false advertising or marketing claims regarding the addictive nature of opioids; (2) knowingly supplying communities with quantities of opioids that are not medically reasonable; or (3) failing to report distribution orders, or patterns of orders, while knowing that the orders are not being dispensed in a medically reasonable manner. Employees of opioid manufacturers and distributors are subject to civil penalties and imprisonment for violations; corporations and executives are subject to civil penalties. Manufacturers shall also lose their period of market exclusivity. Additionally, the Department of Health and Human Services must assess a fee against each corporation that, between January 1, 1993, and the date of enactment of this bill, manufactured or distributed opioids, if such opioids were covered under a federal health program at least once during this period. Manufacturers that fail to pay the fee shall lose associated drug approval until the fee is paid in full. The bill authorizes collected civil penalties and fees to be used for activities that address opioid misuse and abuse, including family and educational programs.

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

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

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

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Opioid Crisis Accountability Act of 2019

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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The strongest published arguments

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Alternatives

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

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Sanders, Bernard [I-VT] · 3 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Michael F. Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT)

Sponsor's campaign money: Sen. Sanders, Bernard [I-VT] reported raising $26.5 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

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 (1)

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 Senate)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-116s1584.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/116/s>

Record fed-us-cong116-s1584 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong116 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong116