I 
113TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4640 
To establish the Western Hemisphere Drug Policy Commission. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 9, 2014 
Mr. ENGEL (for himself, Mr. SALMON, Mr. SIRES, Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN, and 
Mr. O’ROURKE) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Foreign Affairs 
A BILL 
To establish the Western Hemisphere Drug Policy 
Commission. 
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 ‘‘Western Hemisphere 
Drug Policy Commission Act of 2014’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) According to the Substance Abuse and Men-
tal Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) 
National Survey on Drug Use and Health, in 2012 
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in the United States, an estimated 23,900,000 per-
sons age 12 or older were current drug users. There 
were an estimated 1,600,000 users of cocaine, 
440,000 users of methamphetamine, 335,000 users 
of heroin, 18,900,000 users of marijuana, and 
6,800,000 non-medical users of prescription-type 
drugs. 
(2) On September 13, 2013, President Barack 
Obama identified 22 countries as major drug transit 
or major illicit drug producing countries. Of these, 
17 are located in the Western Hemisphere. They are 
The Bahamas, Belize, Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, 
the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, 
Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, 
Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela. 
(3) Nearly all cocaine consumed in the United 
States originates in the Andean countries of Bolivia, 
Colombia, and Peru and most of the heroin con-
sumed in the United States originates in Colombia 
and Mexico. The cultivation, production and traf-
ficking of cocaine and heroin generate violence, in-
stability, and corruption. 
(4) In the transit countries of Central America, 
Mexico, Venezuela, Ecuador, the Dominican Repub-
lic, Haiti, and other Caribbean countries, drug traf-
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ficking is central to the growing strength of orga-
nized criminals to threaten local and national law 
enforcement, political institutions, citizen security, 
rule of law, and United States security and inter-
ests. 
(5) Drug trafficking-related violence continues 
unabated in Mexico. According to Government of 
Mexico estimates, some 70,000 people died in Mex-
ico and 25,000 people disappeared as a result of 
drug trafficking and organized crime-related violence 
between December 2006 and December 2012. Ac-
cording to analysts, more than 11,500 more people 
died in Mexico in 2013 due to the violence. 
(6) Foreign Terrorist Organizations and their 
supporters in the Western Hemisphere, including the 
Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) 
and Hezbollah, have used drug trafficking to finance 
their activities. 
(7) The United States obligated roughly 
$15,700,000,000 
($18,600,000,000 
in 
constant 
2012 dollars) for counternarcotics programs in 
Latin America and the Caribbean between 1980 and 
2012. 
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SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT. 
There is established an independent commission to be 
known as the ‘‘Western Hemisphere Drug Policy Commis-
sion’’ (in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Commission’’). 
SEC. 4. DUTIES. 
(a) REVIEW OF ILLICIT DRUG CONTROL POLICIES.— 
The Commission shall conduct a comprehensive review of 
United States foreign policy in the Western Hemisphere 
to reduce the illicit drug supply and drug abuse and re-
duce the damage associated with illicit drug markets and 
trafficking. The Commission shall also identify policy and 
program options to improve existing international counter-
narcotics policy. The review shall include the following top-
ics: 
(1) An evaluation of United States-funded 
international illicit drug control programs in the 
Western Hemisphere, including drug interdiction, 
crop eradication, alternative development, drug pro-
duction surveys, police and justice sector training, 
demand reduction, and strategies to target drug 
kingpins. 
(2) An evaluation of the impact of United 
States counternarcotics assistance programs in the 
Western Hemisphere, including the Colombia Stra-
tegic Development Initiative, the Merida Initiative, 
the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative and the Cen-
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tral America Regional Security Initiative, in curbing 
drug production, drug trafficking, and drug-related 
violence and improving citizen security. 
(3) An evaluation of how the President’s annual 
determination of major drug-transit and major illicit 
drug producing countries pursuant to sections 490 
of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 
2291j) and section 706 of the Foreign Relations Au-
thorization Act, Fiscal Year 2003 (22 U.S.C. 2291j– 
1) serves United States interests with respect to 
United States international illicit drug control poli-
cies. 
(4) An evaluation of whether the proper indica-
tors of success are being used to evaluate United 
States international illicit drug control policy. 
(5) An evaluation of United States efforts to 
stop illicit proceeds from drug trafficking organiza-
tions from entering the United States financial sys-
tem. 
(6) An evaluation of alternative drug policy 
models in the Western Hemisphere. 
(7) An evaluation of the impact of local drug 
consumption in Latin America and the Caribbean in 
promoting violence and insecurity. 
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(8) Recommendations on how best to improve 
United States counternarcotics policies in the West-
ern Hemisphere. 
(b) COORDINATION WITH GOVERNMENTS, INTER-
NATIONAL
ORGANIZATIONS, AND
NONGOVERNMENTAL 
ORGANIZATIONS
IN
THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE.—In 
conducting the review required under subsection (a), the 
Commission is encouraged to consult with— 
(1) government, academic, and nongovern-
mental leaders, as well as leaders from international 
organizations, from throughout the United States, 
Latin America, and the Caribbean; and 
(2) the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control 
Commission (CICAD). 
(c) REPORT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after 
the first meeting of the Commission, the Commis-
sion shall submit to the Committee on Foreign Af-
fairs of the House of Representatives, the Com-
mittee on Foreign Relations of the Senate, the Sec-
retary of State, and the Director of the Office of 
National Drug Control Policy a report that con-
tains— 
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(A) a detailed statement of the rec-
ommendations, findings, and conclusions of the 
Commission under subsection (a); and 
(B) summaries of the input and rec-
ommendations of the leaders and organizations 
with which the Commission consulted under 
subsection (b). 
(2) PUBLIC
AVAILABILITY.—The report re-
quired under this subsection shall be made available 
to the public. 
SEC. 5. MEMBERSHIP. 
(a) NUMBER AND APPOINTMENT.—The Commission 
shall be composed of ten members to be appointed as fol-
lows: 
(1) The majority leader and minority leader of 
the Senate shall each appoint 2 members. 
(2) The Speaker and the minority leader of the 
House of Representatives shall each appoint 2 mem-
bers. 
(3) The President shall appoint 2 members. 
(b) PROHIBITION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Commission may not in-
clude Members of Congress or Federal, State, or 
local government officials. 
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(2) MEMBER
OF
CONGRESS.—In this sub-
section, the term ‘‘Member of Congress’’ includes a 
Delegate or Resident Commissioner to the Congress. 
(c) PERIOD OF APPOINTMENT.—Each member shall 
be appointed for the life of the Commission. Any vacancies 
shall not affect the power and duties of the Commission, 
but shall be filled in the same manner as the original ap-
pointment. 
(d) DATE.—Members of the Commission shall be ap-
pointed not later than 30 days after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act. 
(e) INITIAL MEETING AND SELECTION OF CHAIR-
PERSON.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 60 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Commis-
sion shall hold an initial meeting to develop and im-
plement a schedule for completion of the review and 
report required under section 4. 
(2) CHAIRPERSON.—At the initial meeting, the 
Commission shall select a Chairperson from among 
its members. 
(f) QUORUM.—Six members of the Commission shall 
constitute a quorum. 
(g) TRAVEL EXPENSES.—Members shall receive trav-
el expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, in 
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accordance with sections 5702 and 5703 of title 5, United 
States Code, while away from their homes or regular 
places of business in performance of services for the Com-
mission. 
SEC. 6. POWERS. 
(a) MEETINGS.—The Commission shall meet at the 
call of the Chairperson or a majority of its members. 
(b) HEARINGS.—The Commission shall hold such 
hearings and undertake such other activities as the Com-
mission determines necessary to carry out its duties. 
(c) OTHER RESOURCES.— 
(1) DOCUMENTS, 
STATISTICAL
DATA, 
AND 
OTHER SUCH INFORMATION.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The Commission shall 
have reasonable access to documents, statistical 
data, and other such information the Commis-
sion determines necessary to carry out its du-
ties from the Library of Congress, the Office of 
National Drug Control Policy, the Department 
of State, and other agencies of the executive 
and legislative branches of the Federal Govern-
ment. 
(B) 
OBTAINING
INFORMATION.—The 
Chairperson of the Commission shall request 
the head of an agency described in subpara-
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