I
105TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 956
To amend the National Narcotics Leadership Act of 1988 to establish a
program to support and encourage local communities that first dem-
onstrate a comprehensive, long-term commitment to reduce substance
abuse among youth, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH 5, 1997
Mr. PORTMAN (for himself, Mr. HASTERT, Mr. LEVIN, and Mr. RANGEL) in-
troduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Gov-
ernment Reform and Oversight, and in addition to the Committee on
Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker,
in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the juris-
diction of the committee concerned
A BILL
To amend the National Narcotics Leadership Act of 1988
to establish a program to support and encourage local
communities that first demonstrate a comprehensive,
long-term commitment to reduce substance abuse among
youth, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Drug-Free Commu-
nities Act of 1997’’.
SEC. 2. NATIONAL DRUG CONTROL PROGRAM.
(a) IN GENERAL.—The National Narcotics Leader-
ship Act of 1988 is amended—
(1) by inserting between sections 1001 and
1002 the following:
‘‘CHAPTER 1—OFFICE OF NATIONAL DRUG
CONTROL POLICY’’;
and
(2) by adding at the end of such chapter the
following:
‘‘CHAPTER 2—DRUG-FREE COMMUNITIES
‘‘SEC. 1021. FINDINGS.
‘‘The Congress finds the following:
‘‘(1) Substance abuse among youth has more
than doubled in the last four years, with substantial
increases in the use of marijuana, inhalants, cocaine,
methamphetamine, LSD, and heroin.
‘‘(2) The most dramatic increases in substance
abuse over the last four years are among younger
Americans—13 and 14 year olds.
‘‘(3) Casual or periodic substance abuse by
youth today will contribute to hard core or chronic
substance abuse by the next generation of adults.
‘‘(4) Substance abuse is at the core of other
problems, such as rising violent teen and violent
gang crime, increasing health care costs, HIV infec-
tions, teenage pregnancy, high school dropouts, and
lower economic productivity.
‘‘(5) Increases in substance abuse among youth
are due in large part to an erosion of understanding
among youth of the high risks associated with sub-
stance abuse, and to the softening of peer norms
against use.
‘‘(6) Substance abuse is a preventable behavior
and a treatable disease; in fact, between 1979 and
1992, monthly use of illegal drugs among 12 to 17
year olds declined over 70 percent; and data sug-
gests that if parents would simply talk to their chil-
dren regularly about the dangers of substance abuse,
use among youth could be expected to decline by as
much as 30 percent.
‘‘(7) Community anti-drug coalitions through-
out the Nation are successfully developing and im-
plementing comprehensive, long-term strategies to
reduce substance abuse among youth on a sustained
basis.
‘‘(8) Intergovernmental cooperation and coordi-
nation through national, State, and local or tribal
leadership and partnerships are critical to facilitate
and initiatives that have proven effective to reducing
substance abuse among youth;
‘‘(6) to enhance, not supplant, local community
initiatives for reducing substance abuse among
youth; and
‘‘(7) to encourage the creation of and support
for community anti-drug coalitions throughout the
Nation.
‘‘SEC. 1023. DEFINITIONS.
‘‘For purposes of this chapter—
‘‘(1) the term ‘Administrator’ means the Ad-
ministrator appointed by the Director pursuant to
section 1031(c); and
‘‘(2) the term ‘Director’ means the Director of
the Office of National Drug Control Policy.
‘‘SEC. 1024. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be
appropriated to the Office of National Drug Control
Policy to carry out this chapter, $10,000,000 for fis-
cal year 1998, $20,000,000 for fiscal year 1999,
$30,000,000 for fiscal year 2000, $40,000,000 for
fiscal year 2001, and $43,500,000 for fiscal year
2002.
‘‘(2) OFFICE
OF
NATIONAL
DRUG
CONTROL
POLICY.—The authorizations provided in paragraph
(1) shall be effective only to the extent that amounts
are appropriated for each fiscal year for the Office
of National Drug Control Policy.
‘‘(b) ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.—Not more than the
following percentages of the amounts authorized under
subsection (a) may be used to pay administrative costs:
10 percent for fiscal year 1998; six percent for fiscal year
1999; four percent for fiscal year 2000; three percent for
fiscal year 2001; and three percent for fiscal year 2002.
‘‘Subchapter I—Drug-Free Communities
Support Program
‘‘SEC. 1031. ESTABLISHMENT OF DRUG-FREE COMMUNITIES
SUPPORT PROGRAM.
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Director of the Office
of National Drug Control Policy shall establish a program
to support communities in the development and implemen-
tation of comprehensive, long-term plans and programs to
prevent and treat substance abuse among youth (referred
to in this chapter as the ‘Program’).
‘‘(b) PROGRAM.—The Program shall include grant
making and tracking, technical assistance and training,
data collection and dissemination on state-of-the-art prac-
tices which have proven effective in reducing substance
abuse, and general administration.
‘‘(c) ADMINISTRATION.—Not later than 30 days after
receiving recommendations from the Advisory Commission
established under title II, the Director shall appoint an
Administrator to carry out the Program.
‘‘SEC. 1032. PROGRAM AUTHORIZATION.
‘‘(a) GRANT ELIGIBILITY.—To be eligible to receive
a grant under this chapter, a coalition shall meet the fol-
lowing criteria:
‘‘(1) APPLICATION.—A coalition that desires to
receive a grant or to renew a grant under this chap-
ter shall submit an application at such time and in
such manner and form as the Administrator shall
reasonably require.
‘‘(2) MAJOR SECTOR INVOLVEMENT.—A coali-
tion shall consist of one or more representatives of
youth, parents, businesses, the media, schools, orga-
nizations serving youth, law enforcement, the faith
community, civic and fraternal groups, health care
professionals, State and local or tribal government
agencies with expertise in the field of substance
abuse, including, if applicable, the single State au-
thority for substance abuse, and other organizations
involved in reducing substance abuse, and, if fea-
sible, an elected official from each of local or tribal,
State, and the Federal Government.
‘‘(3) COMMITMENT.—A coalition shall also dem-
onstrate that its representatives have worked to-
gether on substance abuse reduction initiatives for
not less than six months through entities such as
task forces, subcommittees, or community boards
and shall demonstrate substantial participation from
volunteer leaders in the community, especially
among individuals involved with youth such as par-
ents, teachers, coaches, youth workers, and clergy.
‘‘(4) MISSION
AND
STRATEGIES.—A coalition
shall—
‘‘(A) have as its principal mission the re-
duction of substance abuse in a comprehensive
and long-term fashion, with a primary focus on
youth in the community;
‘‘(B) describe and document the nature
and extent of the substance abuse problem in
the community;
‘‘(C) provide a description of existing sub-
stance abuse prevention and treatment pro-
grams and activities and identify substance
abuse program and service gaps in the commu-
nity;
‘‘(D) develop a strategic plan to reduce
substance abuse among youth in a comprehen-
sive and long-term fashion; and
‘‘(E) work to develop a consensus regard-
ing the priorities of the community to combat
substance abuse among youth.
‘‘(5) SUSTAINABILITY.—A coalition shall dem-
onstrate that it is an ongoing concern, by having a
structure (such as a 501(c)(3) organization de-
scribed in title 26, United States Code or a division
of an existing entity), non-Federal financial support
(including, within the discretion of the Adminis-
trator, in-kind contributions), and a strategy to
identify and solicit substantial non-Federal funding
sources to ensure that the coalition and its programs
are self-sustaining.
‘‘(6) ACCOUNTABILITY.—The coalition shall—
‘‘(A) establish a system approved by the
Administrator to measure and report outcomes
consistent with common indicators and evalua-
tion protocols established by the Administrator,
in consultation with the Advisory Commission;