{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://pappas.house.gov/media/press-releases/three-pappas-backed-bipartisan-bills-to-fight-the-addiction-crisis-and-improve-care-for-seniors-advance-out-of-committee", "Three Pappas-Backed Bipartisan Bills to Fight the Addiction Crisis and Improve Care for Seniors Advance Out of Committee", "2026-07-28", "2026", "2026-07", "Democrat", "House", "NH", "Chris Pappas", "P000614", "pappas.house.gov", "pappas", "https://pappas.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Three bipartisan bills backed by Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) were voted out of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce last week, and now head to the House floor for a vote before the full House of Representatives.\n\nPappas introduced the bipartisan, bicameral Combating Illicit Xylazine Act with Rep. Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), which would list xylazine as a Schedule III controlled substance and give law enforcement the tools they need to go after traffickers while protecting the drug\u2019s legal use by veterinarians, farmers, and ranchers. Xylazine, also known as \u201ctranq,\u201d is an easily accessible veterinary tranquilizer that is being used as a low-cost cutting agent for fentanyl.\n\nPappas cosponsors Tyler\u2019s Law, bipartisan legislation designed to prevent fentanyl overdoses in the United States. This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to complete a study on how frequently hospitals test for fentanyl when a patient is experiencing an overdose. Based on these results, the bill instructs HHS to issue guidance to hospitals on implementing fentanyl testing in emergency rooms.\n\n\u201cAs we work to combat the ongoing addiction epidemic, we have to make progress across the board on this issue. We must ensure our law enforcement has the resources they need to stop drug trafficking and that our health care centers have the resources for care and recovery,\u201d said Congressman Pappas. \u201cThese bills would do that and should be swiftly brought to the floor for a vote.\u201d\n\nPappas cosponsors the Improving Seniors\u2019 Timely Access to Care Act of 2025, legislation to streamline the outdated prior authorization process in Medicare Advantage (MA). With nearly 33 million Americans enrolled in Medicare Advantage, the bill updates a system that has become a top administrative burden for providers and a barrier to timely care. Audits by the HHS Inspector General have found that Medicare Advantage plans subjected enrollees to unnecessary delays, incorrectly denied medically necessary care, and ultimately approved 75% of requests that were initially denied.\n\n\u201cThis legislation is about cutting red tape and fixing systems that aren\u2019t working so that seniors can access the care they need when they need it and physicians can focus on their patients, not paperwork,\u201d said Congressman Pappas. \u201cIt\u2019s commonsense and it\u2019ll make a real difference for folks in New Hampshire and across the country.\u201d\n\nBackground:\n\nThe Combating Illicit Xylazine Act would:\n\nSchedule xylazine as Schedule III illicit substance under the Controlled Substances Act;\n\nEnsure veterinarians, farmers, and ranchers can still use the drug for its intended purpose by creating a clear definition of \u201cultimate user\u201d \u2014 someone lawfully permitted to possess a controlled substance for legitimate use;\n\nEnable the DEA to track its manufacturing to ensure it is not diverted to the illicit market; and\n\nRequire a report on prevalence, risks, and recommendations regarding xylazine.\n\nThe bill is endorsed by 41 state attorneys general, major law enforcement organizations, and veterinary organizations. The Combating Illicit Xylazine Act previously passed the House with overwhelming bipartisan support.\n\nTyler\u2019s Law is named in memory of Tyler Shamash, a 19-year-old boy who died following a fentanyl ingestion in 2018. He was not tested for fentanyl after being brought to the hospital with a suspected overdose. His mother, Juli, is an advocate for this legislation and is sharing Tyler\u2019s story to prevent others from experiencing the same tragedy. Still to this day, many emergency rooms do not include fentanyl in their drug screenings. According to HHS, fentanyl-related deaths have skyrocketed 103-fold in the United States from 1999\u20132023. Adding fentanyl testing to emergency room drug screenings could save countless lives. A full list of endorsing organizations is here.\n\nThe Improving Seniors\u2019 Timely Access to Care Act of 2025 would:\n\nRequire MA plans to adopt an electronic prior authorization (e-PA) system with standardized transaction;\n\nImprove transparency around MA Prior Authorization use and requirements;\n\nClarify HHS\u2019 authority to set timelines for determinations, including real-time decisions for routine items; and\n\nMandate HHS and other agencies report on oversight and further improvements to the e-PA process\n\nIn the 117th and 118th Congresses, this legislation was endorsed by more than 500 organizations representing patients, providers, medical technology innovators, biopharmaceutical companies, and health plans.", 1, "2026-07-29T07:41:48Z", "2026-07-29T07:42:57Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://pappas.house.gov/media/press-releases/three-pappas-backed-bipartisan-bills-to-fight-the-addiction-crisis-and-improve-care-for-seniors-advance-out-of-committee"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8863999973982573, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}