H.R. 304 will improve the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) registration process for emergency medical services (EMS) agencies, and clarify that EMS professionals are permitted to administer controlled substances pursuant to standing or verbal orders when certain conditions are met.

Authored by committee member Rep. Richard Hudson (R-NC), H.R. 304 initially passed the House by a vote of 404-0 in January. It passed the Senate, as amended, by unanimous consent, in October. H.R. 304 passed the House, as amended by the Senate, sending it to President Trump earlier this month.

“This is an important bill that will help equip our first responders in the most unpredictable and urgent situations,” said Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR). “The clarifications in this bill will translate to more detailed accounts of how registered agencies can administer controlled substances.”

“I’m thrilled to see this important fix signed into law,” said Rep. Hudson. “This is an example of how to get things done — finding common ground and advancing bipartisan solutions to get results people deserve.”