I 

108TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1599

To amend the Office of National Drug Control Policy Act Reauthorization 

Act of 1998 to ensure that adequate funding is provided for certain 

high intensity drug trafficking areas. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 3, 2003

Mr. CUMMINGS (for himself and Mr. SOUDER) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Government Reform, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be 

subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration 

of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL

To amend the Office of National Drug Control Policy Act 

Reauthorization Act of 1998 to ensure that adequate 

funding is provided for certain high intensity drug trafficking areas.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Dawson Family Com5 munity Protection Act’’. 
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1 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

2 Congress finds the following: 

3 (1) In the early morning hours of October 16, 

4 2002, the home of Carnell and Angela Dawson was 

5 firebombed in apparent retaliation for Mrs. 

6 Dawson’s notification of police about persistent drug 

7 distribution activity in their East Baltimore City 

8 neighborhood. 

9 (2) The arson claimed the lives of Mr. and Mrs. 

10 Dawson and their 5 young children, aged 9 to 14. 

11 (3) The horrific murder of the Dawson family 

12 is a stark example of domestic narco-terrorism. 

13 (4) In all phases of counter-narcotics law en14 forcement—from prevention to investigation to pros15 ecution to reentry—the voluntary cooperation of or16 dinary citizens is a critical component. 

17 (5) Voluntary cooperation is difficult for law en18 forcement officials to obtain when citizens feel that 

19 cooperation carries the risk of violent retaliation by 

20 illegal drug trafficking organizations and their affili21 ates. 

22 (6) Public confidence that law enforcement is 

23 doing all it can to make communities safe is a pre24 requisite for voluntary cooperation among people 

25 who may be subject to intimidation or reprisal (or 

26 both). 
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1 (7) Witness protection programs are insufficient 

2 on their own to provide security because many indi3 viduals and families who strive everyday to make 

4 distressed neighborhoods livable for their children, 

5 other relatives, and neighbors will resist or refuse of6 fers of relocation by local, State, and Federal pros7 ecutorial agencies and because, moreover, the contin8 ued presence of strong individuals and families is 

9 critical to preserving and strengthening the social 

10 fabric in such communities. 

11 (8) Where (as in certain sections of Baltimore 

12 City) interstate trafficking of illegal drugs has severe 

13 ancillary local consequences within areas designated 

14 as High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas, it is im15 portant that supplementary HIDTA Program funds 

16 be committed to support initiatives aimed at making 

17 the affected communities safe for the residents of 

18 those communities and encouraging their coopera19 tion with local, State, and Federal law enforcement 

20 efforts to combat illegal drug trafficking. 

21 SEC. 3. FUNDING FOR CERTAIN HIGH INTENSITY DRUG 

22 TRAFFICKING AREAS. 

23 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 707(d) of the Office of 

24 National Drug Control Policy Act Reauthorization Act of 
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1 1998 (21 U.S.C. 1760(d); Public Law 105–277; 112 Stat. 

2 2681-670) is amended—

3 (1) by striking ‘‘The Director’’ and inserting 

4 the following: 

5 ‘‘(1) LIMITATION.—The Director’’; and 

6 (2) by adding at the end the following new 

7 paragraph: 

8 ‘‘(2) SPECIFIC PURPOSES.—The Director shall 

9 ensure that, of the amounts appropriated for a fiscal 

10 year for the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas 

11 Program, at least $1,000,000 is used in high inten12 sity drug trafficking areas with severe neighborhood 

13 safety and illegal drug distribution problems. The 

14 funds shall be used—

15 ‘‘(A) to ensure the safety of neighborhoods 

16 and the protection of communities, including 

17 the prevention of the intimidation of potential 

18 witnesses of illegal drug distribution and related 

19 activities; and 

20 ‘‘(B) to combat illegal drug trafficking 

21 through such methods as the Director considers 

22 appropriate, such as establishing or operating 

23 (or both) a toll-free telephone hotline for use by 
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1 the public to provide information about illegal 

2 drug-related activities.’’.

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