Bruce's Law
This bill reauthorizes certain grants through FY2028 and sets out other activities to address the dangers of fentanyl-related drug overdoses, with a particular focus on drug contamination with fentanyl or other synthetic opioids.
Specifically, the bill (1) reauthorizes grants that are available through the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) for community-based coalitions to address local drug crises, and (2) authorizes new grants for coalitions to implement education and prevention strategies in communities that face significant levels of drug overdoses related to fentanyl and other synthetic opioids. The ONDCP may delegate authority to execute the new grants to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Additionally, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must carry out a campaign to increase public awareness of the dangers of fentanyl, including the risk of contamination of counterfeit drugs with fentanyl or other synthetic drugs.
The bill also establishes an interagency work group to coordinate and improve federal efforts to reduce and prevent drug overdoses involving contamination with fentanyl or other synthetic opioids. Work group members include the ONDCP, HHS, the Department of Justice, and the Department of State.
[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2867 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2867
To establish an awareness campaign related to the lethality of fentanyl
and fentanyl-contaminated drugs, to establish a Federal Interagency
Work Group on Fentanyl Contamination of Drugs, and to provide
community-based coalition enhancement grants to mitigate the effects of
drug use.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 25, 2023
Mr. Trone (for himself, Mr. Rogers of Kentucky, Mr. Lamborn, and Mrs.
Peltola) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Energy and Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish an awareness campaign related to the lethality of fentanyl
and fentanyl-contaminated drugs, to establish a Federal Interagency
Work Group on Fentanyl Contamination of Drugs, and to provide
community-based coalition enhancement grants to mitigate the effects of
drug use.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as ``Bruce's Law''.
SEC. 2. AWARENESS CAMPAIGNS.
(a) Opioid Program.--Section 102 of the Comprehensive Addiction and
Recovery Act of 2016 (Public Law 114-198) is amended--
(1) in the section heading, by inserting ``relating to
opioids'' after ``campaigns''; and
(2) in subsection (c)--
(A) in paragraph (1), by inserting ``and'' after
the semicolon;
(B) in paragraph (2)(B), by striking ``; and'' and
inserting a period; and
(C) by striking paragraph (3).
(b) Additional Campaign.--Title I of the Comprehensive Addiction
and Recovery Act of 2016 (Public Law 114-198) is amended by inserting
after section 102 the following:
``SEC. 102A. AWARENESS CAMPAIGN RELATED TO LETHALITY OF FENTANYL AND
FENTANYL-CONTAMINATED DRUGS.
``(a) In General.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services, in
coordination with the heads of other Federal departments and agencies,
shall, as appropriate, through a public awareness campaign, advance the
education and awareness of the public (including school-aged children,
youth, parents, first responders, and providers) and other appropriate
entities regarding the risk of counterfeit drugs being contaminated
with fentanyl or other synthetic opioids and the lethality and other
dangers of synthetic opioids.
``(b) Topics.--The education and awareness campaign under
subsection (a) shall address--
``(1) the dangers of using drugs which may be contaminated
with fentanyl or other synthetic opioids;
``(2) the prevention of substance use disorder and use of
prescription drugs other than as prescribed, including through
safe disposal of prescription medications and other safety
precautions; and
``(3) the detection of early warning signs of substance use
disorder and addiction in school-aged children and youth.
``(c) Other Requirements.--The education and awareness campaign
under subsection (a) shall, as appropriate, take into account any
association between the use of prescription drugs other than as
prescribed and the use of drugs that can be contaminated by fentanyl or
other opioids, including heroin.
``(d) Drug Defined.--In this section, the term `drug' means--
``(1) an illicit drug, such as marijuana, hashish, cocaine
(including crack cocaine), inhalants, hallucinogens, heroin, a
synthetic opioid, methamphetamine or other stimulant;
``(2) a counterfeit prescription drug; or
``(3) a prescription drug that is sold illegally.
``(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated for fiscal years 2024 through 2028 such sums as may be
necessary to carry out this section.''.
SEC. 3. FEDERAL INTERAGENCY WORK GROUP ON FENTANYL CONTAMINATION OF
DRUGS.
Title I of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2016
(Public Law 114-198), as amended by section 2(b), is further amended by
inserting after section 102A the following:
``SEC. 102B. FEDERAL INTERAGENCY WORK GROUP ON FENTANYL CONTAMINATION
OF DRUGS.
``(a) Establishment.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services
(referred to in this section as the `Secretary') shall establish the
Federal Interagency Work Group on Fentanyl Contamination of Drugs
(referred to in this section as the `Work Group').
``(b) Membership; Consultation.--
``(1) Composition.--Not later than 120 days after the date
of enactment of Bruce's Law, the heads of the Office of
National Drug Control Policy, the Substance Abuse and Mental
Health Services Administration, the Administration for Children
and Families, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
the Department of Justice, the Drug Enforcement Administration,
the Department of State, the Department of Education, and other
Federal agencies (as determined by the Secretary) shall
designate representatives of the respective agency or office to
the Work Group.
``(2) Consultation.--The Work Group shall consult with--
``(A) experts at the State, Tribal, and local
levels with relevant backgrounds in reducing,
preventing, and responding to drug overdose by fentanyl
contamination of drugs;
``(B) individuals in recovery from use of fentanyl
other than as prescribed or use of other synthetic
opioids;
``(C) family members of adults who have overdosed
by fentanyl-contaminated drugs;
``(D) family members of school-aged children and
youth who have overdosed by fentanyl-contaminated
drugs;
``(E) researchers and other experts in the design
and implementation of effective drug-related messaging
and prevention campaigns; and
``(F) technology companies.
``(c) Duties.--The Work Group shall--
``(1) examine all Federal efforts directed towards reducing
and preventing drug overdose by fentanyl- or other synthetic
opioid-contaminated drugs;
``(2) identify strategies, resources, and supports to
improve State, Tribal, and local responses to overdose by
fentanyl- or other synthetic opioid-contaminated drugs;
``(3) make recommendations to Congress for improving
Federal programs and efforts and coordination across such
programs and efforts to reduce and prevent drug overdose by
fentanyl- or other synthetic opioid-contaminated drugs; and
``(4) make recommendations for educating youth on the
dangers of drugs contaminated by fentanyl or other synthetic
opioids.
``(d) Annual Report to Secretary.--The Work Group shall annually
prepare and submit to the Secretary, the Committee on Health,
Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate, and the Committee on
Education and the Workforce and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of
the House of Representatives, a report on the activities carried out by
the Work Group under subsection (c), including recommendations to
reduce and prevent drug overdose by fentanyl or other synthetic opioid
contamination of drugs, in all populations, and specifically among
youth at risk for substance use disorder and use of drugs other than as
prescribed.''.
SEC. 4. COMMUNITY-BASED COALITION ENHANCEMENT GRANTS TO ADDRESS LOCAL
DRUG CRISES.
Section 103(i) of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of
2016 (21 U.S.C. 1536(i)) is amended by striking ``2017 through 2021''
and inserting ``2024 through 2028''.
SEC. 5. COMMUNITY-BASED COALITION ENHANCEMENT GRANTS TO EDUCATE YOUTH
ON THE RISKS OF DRUGS CONTAMINATED WITH FENTANYL OR OTHER
SYNTHETIC OPIOIDS.
Title I of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2016
(Public Law 114-198) is amended by inserting after section 103 (21
U.S.C. 1536) the following:
``SEC. 103A. COMMUNITY-BASED COALITION ENHANCEMENT GRANTS TO EDUCATE
YOUTH ON THE RISKS OF DRUGS CONTAMINATED WITH FENTANYL OR
OTHER SYNTHETIC OPIOIDS.
``(a) Program Authorized.--The Director of the Office of National
Drug Control Policy (referred to in this section as the `Director'), in
coordination with the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, may make grants to eligible entities to implement education
of the public on the dangers of contamination of drugs with fentanyl or
other synthetic opioids.
``(b) Application.--
``(1) In general.--An eligible entity seeking a grant under
this section shall submit an application to the Director at
such time, in such manner, and accompanied by such information
as the Director may require.
``(2) Criteria.--As part of an application for a grant
under this section, the Director shall require an eligible
entity to submit a detailed, comprehensive, multisector plan
for addressing the implementation of an evidence-based public
education campaign on the dangers of drugs contaminated with
fentanyl or other synthetic opioids, with a specific
consideration given to education focused on youth at increased
risk for developing a substance use disorder.
``(3) Eligible entities.--For purposes of this section, the
term `eligible entity' means an entity that--
``(A) has documented, using local data, rates of
drug overdose related to fentanyl or other synthetic
opioids at levels that are significant, as determined
by the Director; and
``(B) has received a grant under the Drug-Free
Communities Act of 1997.
``(c) Use of Funds.--An eligible entity shall use a grant received
under this section--
``(1) for programs designed to implement comprehensive
community-wide prevention strategies to address the dangers of
drugs contaminated with fentanyl or other synthetic opioids, in
the area served by the eligible entity, in accordance with the
plan submitted under subsection (b)(2);
``(2) to obtain specialized training and technical
assistance from the organization funded under section 4 of
Public Law 107-82 (21 U.S.C. 1521 note); and
``(3) for programs designed to implement comprehensive
community-wide strategies to address the dangers of drugs
contaminated with fentanyl or other synthetic opioids in the
community.
``(d) Supplement Not Supplant.--An eligible entity shall use
Federal funds received under this section only to supplement the funds
that would, in the absence of those Federal funds, be made available
from other Federal and non-Federal sources for the activities described
in this section, and not to supplant those funds.
``(e) Evaluation.--A grant under this section shall be subject to
the same evaluation requirements and procedures as the evaluation
requirements and procedures imposed on the recipient of a grant under
the Drug-Free Communities Act of 1997, and shall also include an
evaluation of the effectiveness at reducing the use of illicit fentanyl
or other synthetic opioids.
``(f) Limitation on Administrative Expenses.--Not more than 12
percent of the amounts made available to carry out this section for a
fiscal year may be used to pay for administrative expenses.
``(g) Delegation Authority.--The Director may enter into an
interagency agreement with the Director of the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention to delegate authority for the execution of
grants and for such other activities, as the Director determines
necessary to carry out this section.
``(h) Definition.--In this section, the term `drug' has the meaning
given such term in section 102A.
``(i) Authorization of Appropriations.--For the purpose of carrying
out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated such sums as
may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2024 through 2028.''.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
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