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H.R. 4938 115th Congress House

Respond NOW Act

Official title: To address the opioid epidemic, and for other purposes.

Introduced: February 6, 2018 See on congress.gov
Health AppropriationsCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)Child healthCongressional oversight
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Department of Health and Human ServicesDrug safety, medical device, and laboratory regulationDrug therapyDrug trafficking and controlled substancesDrug, alcohol, tobacco useEducation programs fundingEmergency medical services and trauma careFirst responders and emergency personnelFood and Drug Administration (FDA)Government trust fundsHealth care coverage and accessHealth information and medical recordsHealth personnelHealth programs administration and fundingHealth promotion and preventive careIndian social and development programsInfectious and parasitic diseasesLicensing and registrationsMedical educationMedical researchMedicareMental healthMinority healthNational Institutes of Health (NIH)Prescription drugsResearch administration and fundingStudent aid and college costsWorker safety and health
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This bill died when the 115th Congress ended
It never became law before the 115th Congress (2017–2018) 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 5 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Apr 5, 2018
Referred to the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education.
Feb 12, 2018
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
Feb 9, 2018
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
Feb 6, 2018
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, Ways and Means, Education and the Workforce, and the Budget, 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.
Feb 6, 2018
Introduced in House
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 Latest action April 5, 2018

Referred to the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Respond to the Needs in the Opioid War Act or the Respond NOW Act

This bill establishes the Opioid Epidemic Response Fund through FY2022 to fund programs and activities addressing the opioid and substance use epidemic, including:

  • Food and Drug Administration support of innovation in non-opioid and nonaddictive medical products for pain treatment,
  • National Institutes of Health research on creating longer-lasting or faster-acting antidotes for opioid overdoses,
  • Health Resources and Services Administration efforts to increase the availability and capacity of the behavioral health workforce, and
  • Administration for Children and Families programs for child abuse prevention and treatment.

The bill amends the 21st Century Cures Act to extend funding through FY2022 for programs to help states address substance use prevention and treatment.

The bill amends the Controlled Substances Act to allow a practitioner to dispense narcotic drugs for maintenance treatment or detoxification treatment to an increased number of patients under specified conditions.

The bill amends the Social Security Act to include methadone treatment in Medicare coverage.

 Related & companion bills 5
  • HR 3692 Addiction Treatment Access Improvement Act of 2017
  • HR 4907 To amend the Safe Drinking Water Act to require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to establish a…
  • S 2317 Addiction Treatment Access Improvement Act of 2018
  • S 2704 Medicare Beneficiary Opioid Addiction Treatment Act
  • HR 4097 Medicare Beneficiary Opioid Addiction Treatment Act
 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 8
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 4938: Respond NOW Act. 115th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/115-HR-4938/
MLA
"H.R. 4938: Respond NOW Act." 115th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/115-HR-4938/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 4938, 115th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/115-HR-4938/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 4938: Respond NOW Act](https://openamerica.io/bill/115-HR-4938/)
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