H.R. 5629 · Where this bill is now
In committee
Introduced in the House, sent to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, Sep 30, 2025
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryReverses opioid treatment flexibility rules
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of Health and Human Services loosened some rules around opioid addiction treatment to make it easier for people to get medications like methadone and buprenorphine. This bill would reverse those changes. It would eliminate things like allowing patients early in treatment to take doses home, using telehealth video visits instead of in-person exams for admission, and other treatment approaches that expanded during the emergency. It would also bring back a requirement that patients show at least a one-year history of opioid misuse before entering a treatment program.
How it affects you
If you're seeking opioid addiction treatment or already in a program, these changes would make it harder to access care in some ways. You'd likely need to come in person for appointments rather than use video visits, and you might not be allowed to take medication home as easily in your first couple months of treatment. People newly entering treatment programs would also need to demonstrate a longer history of opioid use to qualify for admission.
Read the official summary (Introduced in House, Sep 30, 2025)
This bill nullifies part of the final rule issued by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) titled Medications for the Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder and published on February 2, 2024.
The rule incorporated into regulations certain flexibilities for opioid treatment that were initially implemented during the COVID-19 public health emergency. The bill nullifies these flexibilities, including (1) expanded flexibility for patients in their first or second month of treatment to receive take-home doses of methadone, (2) flexibility to use telehealth examinations to admit patients for treatment involving buprenorphine or methadone, and (3) expanded access to evidence-based practices such as splitting doses for certain patients.
Pursuant to a statutory requirement, the rule also allowed patients to be admitted to an opioid treatment program without having to show at least a one-year history of opioid misuse. The bill nullifies these provisions of the rule.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
1st SessionH. R. 5629
A BILL
To provide that the final rule of the Department of Health and Human Services titled "Medications for the Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder", except for the portion of the final rule relating to accreditation of opioid treatment programs, shall have no force or effect.
Sponsor: Rep. Erin Houchin (R-IN-9) · Introduced Sep 30, 2025 · Health · 1 version of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Sep 30, 2025: “Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.”