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HR 1470 100th Congress House Health Cancer Drug safety and regulation Drugs Drugs and narcotics Heroin Pain Terminal care

Compassionate Pain Relief Act

Introduced: March 5, 1987 See on congress.gov
This bill died when the 100th Congress ended
It never became law before the 100th Congress (1987–1988) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 3 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Mar 12, 1987
Referred to Subcommittee on Health and the Environment.
Mar 5, 1987
Referred to House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Mar 5, 1987
Introduced in House
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 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Compassionate Pain Relief Act - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a program under which heroin shall be made available to individuals for the relief of pain from terminal cancer. Directs the Secretary, acting through the Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, to provide for the manufacture of heroin for such program. Directs the Attorney General to promulgate regulations making heroin available for use in such program. Directs the Secretary to assure the purity of such drug.

Permits physicians, hospital pharmacies, and hospice pharmacies registered under the Controlled Substances Act to prescribe heroin to terminally ill cancer patients.

Requires the registration, by the Attorney General, of: (1) manufacturers of heroin to be used in the program; (2) hospice and hospital pharmacies which dispense such drug; and (3) physicians who prescribe it.

Provides penalties for those who knowingly violate regulations prescribed by the Secretary.

Requires the Secretary to report to specified congressional committees regarding: (1) activities under the program; and (2) research and training in pain management funded by the National Institutes of Health.

Provides for the program's termination.

What's happening now March 12, 1987

Referred to Subcommittee on Health and the Environment.

 Committees of jurisdiction 2
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 1470: Compassionate Pain Relief Act. 100th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/100-HR-1470/
MLA
"H.R. 1470: Compassionate Pain Relief Act." 100th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/100-HR-1470/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 1470, 100th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/100-HR-1470/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 1470: Compassionate Pain Relief Act](https://openamerica.io/bill/100-HR-1470/)
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