H.R. 5591 – SHIELDS Act

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Updated April 15, 2026 at 9:22 PM UTC

The SHIELDS Act directs the Secretary of Defense to create a Military Health System Prescription Drug Monitoring Program. The program must track prescription drugs, especially controlled substances, provided through military facilities and share patient‑specific data with state prescription drug monitoring programs to help prevent misuse. It applies to service members and others receiving care through the uniformed services and requires a briefing to Congress on its implementation.

Key Provisions

Establishes a Department of Defense prescription drug monitoring program for drugs provided by the uniformed services, modeled after state programs and covering controlled substances.
Requires the program to share patient‑specific information on controlled substances with state prescription drug monitoring programs to curb misuse and diversion.
Treats such information sharing as a permitted disclosure under HIPAA, and mandates cybersecurity and operational security safeguards for the data.
Mandates that the Secretary of Defense brief the House and Senate Armed Services Committees within one year on the program’s implementation.
Updates references in Title 10 and prior National Defense Authorization Acts to reflect the new subsection designation.

Legislative Activity

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2 earlier actions

HouseCommittee Latest Action

Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

Military Personnel Subcommittee

April 25, 2018

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

April 24, 2018

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.

Armed Services Committee

April 24, 2018

HouseCommittee

Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

Military Personnel Subcommittee

April 25, 2018

Bill Text

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Introduced in HouseIssued April 24, 2018

I

115th CONGRESS

2d Session

H. R. 5591

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

April 24, 2018

Mr. Turner (for himself and Mr. Moulton) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services

A BILL

To amend title 10, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Defense to establish a prescription drug monitoring program.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Sharing Health Information to Ensure Lifesaving Drug Safety Act or the SHIELDS Act.

2.

Sharing information with State prescription drug monitoring programs

(a)

Establishment

Section 1074g of title 10, United States Code, is amended—

(1)

by redesignating subsections (g) and (h) as subsections (h) and (i), respectively; and

(2)

by inserting after subsection (f) the following new subsection:

(g)

Sharing information with State prescription drug monitoring programs

(1)

The Secretary shall establish and operate a prescription drug monitoring program (to be known as the Military Health System Prescription Drug Monitoring Program) for prescription drugs provided through facilities of the uniformed services.

(2)

The Secretary shall ensure that the program established under paragraph (1)—

(A)

is comparable to prescription drug monitoring programs operated by States, including such programs approved by the Secretary of Health and Human Services under section 399O of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 280g–3); and

(B)

covers prescription drugs provided under the pharmacy benefits program that are controlled substances.

(3)

(A)

In carrying out the program established under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall establish appropriate procedures for sharing between the program and State prescription drug monitoring programs patient-specific information regarding prescription drugs that are controlled substances to prevent the misuse and diversion of opioid medications and other controlled substances.

(B)

For purposes of the regulations promulgated under section 264(c) of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (Public Law 104–191; 42 U.S.C. 1320d–2 note), any disclosure of patient-specific information by the Secretary under subparagraph (A) shall be treated as a permitted disclosure.

(C)

The Secretary shall include in the procedures established under subparagraph (A) appropriate safeguards, as determined by the Secretary, concerning the cybersecurity of information systems of the Department of Defense systems and the operational security of personnel of the Department.

(4)

In this subsection, the term controlled substance has the meaning given that term in section 102 of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 802).

.

(b)

Briefing

Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall provide to the Committees on Armed Services of the House of Representatives and the Senate a briefing on the implementation of the program established under section 1074g(g) of title 10, United States Code, as added by subsection (a).

(c)

Conforming amendments

(1)

Title 10, United States Code

Section 1079(q) of title 10, United States Code, is amended by striking section 1074g(g) and inserting section 1074g(h).

(2)

FY16 NDAA

Section 715(e)(2) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 (Public Law 114–92; 10 U.S.C. 1074g note) is amended by striking section 1074g(g) and inserting section 1074g(h).

(3)

FY17 NDAA

Section 745(b) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114–328; 10 U.S.C. 1074 note) is amended by striking section 1074g(g) and inserting section 1074g(h).