{"bills":[{"photos":{"featured":"https://assets.causes.com/bill/photo/s1584-116/featured_opioid-crisis-accountability-act-of-2019-1566962390.jpg","featured_large":"https://assets.causes.com/bill/photo/s1584-116/featured_large_opioid-crisis-accountability-act-of-2019-1566962390.jpg","shareable":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/bills/s1584-116.png"},"introduced_on":"2019-05-21","title_override":"Should Opioid Manufacturers & Executives be Held Financially & Criminally Responsible for the Opioid Crisis?","summary_override":"

This bill — the Opioid Crisis Accountability Act of 2019 — would prohibit a drug manufacturer from engaging in illegal marketing and distribution practices, including falsely advertising, promoting, or marketing that an opioid has no addiction-forming or addiction-sustaining qualities or risks; supplying states or communities with a quantity of opioids that is not medically necessary; or failing to report any order or pattern of orders that would cause a reasonable person to believe the opioids were not being dispensed in a medically reasonable manner.

Any company found to be in violation of this bill would be fined 25% of the profits from their opioid products. Drug manufacturers who illegally advertise, market, or distribute an opioid product would be stripped of any remaining period of market exclusivity for that opioid product. They would also lose half the remaining exclusivity period on any other opioid products they have on the market.

Pharmaceutical company executives whose companies are found to have engaged in manipulative practices when marketing opioids would be subject to a minimum of 10 years in prison. They would also be fined an amount equal to their compensation package.

This legislation would also fine any company found liable for contributing to the opioid epidemic $7.8 billion (10% of the opioid crisis’ annual cost).

Funds collected under this bill would be used to establish a reimbursement fund for those affected by the opioid epidemic. They would also be used to support programs and activities to combat the opioid crisis.

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Should Opioid Manufacturers & Executives be Held Financially & Criminally Responsible for the Opioid Crisis?