Title: SOBER Act of 2022
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement

Summary:
Supporting Opportunities to Build Everyday Responsibility Act of 2022 or the SOBER Act of 2022
This bill directs the Department of Justice to establish a grant program to provide funding for 24-7 sobriety programs. It also directs the National Institute of Justice to evaluate the policies and procedures used by grant recipients to reduce crime, recidivism, and incarceration attributed to use of alcohol or controlled substances.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8209 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 8209

   To direct the Attorney General to establish a grant program with 
       respect to 24-7 sobriety programs, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 23, 2022

 Mr. Johnson of South Dakota (for himself, Mr. Correa, Mr. Bacon, Ms. 
DelBene, Mr. Owens, and Ms. Craig) introduced the following bill; which 
             was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To direct the Attorney General to establish a grant program with 
       respect to 24-7 sobriety programs, and for other purposes.

    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 the ``Supporting Opportunities to Build 
Everyday Responsibility Act of 2022'' or the ``SOBER Act of 2022''.

SEC. 2. GRANT PROGRAM WITH RESPECT TO 24-7 SOBRIETY PROGRAMS.

    (a) Establishment.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Attorney General shall establish a grant 
program (in this Act referred to as the ``Program''), within the Office 
of Justice Programs, to provide funding to 24-7 sobriety programs.
    (b) Grant Authority.--In carrying out the Program, the Attorney 
General may award a grant to an eligible recipient that submits an 
application for the Program.
    (c) Eligible Recipient.--
            (1) In general.--Grants awarded under the Program may be 
        awarded to a State, Tribal government, or an agency, office, or 
        a group of such agencies or offices of the State or Tribal 
        government for the purpose of administering an eligible project 
        under subsection (e).
            (2) Subgrant.--An eligible recipient awarded a grant under 
        the Program may distribute subgrant of funds awarded under the 
        program to any local government office or agency, or group of 
        offices or agencies, for the purpose of administering an 
        eligible project under subsection (e).
    (d) Applications.--To be eligible for a grant under the Program, an 
eligible recipient shall submit to the Attorney General an application 
at such time, in such manner, and containing or accompanied by such 
information as the Attorney General may reasonably require.
    (e) Eligible Projects.--Grant funds awarded under the Program shall 
be used to defray administrative costs of an existing 24-7 sobriety 
program, or costs associated with implementing a new 24-7 sobriety 
program. Such costs may include--
            (1) hiring staff;
            (2) purchasing and maintaining equipment;
            (3) data collection;
            (4) helping a participant meet the financial obligations of 
        being a participant in a 24-7 sobriety program; and
            (5) other administrative costs.
    (f) Federal Share.--The Federal share of the cost of a project 
assisted with a grant under the Program shall not exceed 100 percent.
    (g) Report by Eligible Recipient.--Not later than 365 days after 
disbursement of funds to an eligible recipient under the Program, an 
eligible recipient shall submit to the Attorney General a report 
including, for each 24-7 sobriety program funded by the eligible 
recipient--
            (1) information on eligibility and participation in the 24-
        7 sobriety program;
            (2) data with respect to the consumption of alcohol or 
        other controlled substances by 24-7 sobriety program 
        participants;
            (3) data reflecting any criminal charges and convictions 
        among participants during and up to five years after such 
        participant participated in the 24-7 sobriety program;
            (4) data regarding programmatic outcomes, including 
        technical violations of the 24-7 sobriety program and 
        sanctions; and
            (5) categorized expenses incurred for the administration of 
        a 24-7 sobriety program.
    (h) National Institute of Justice Evaluation and Report to 
Congress.--
            (1) Evaluation.--Not later than two years after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, and every two years thereafter, the 
        Director of the National Institute of Justice shall conduct an 
        evaluation to identify policies and procedures used by eligible 
        recipients to reduce crime, recidivism, and incarceration 
        attributed to use of alcohol or controlled substances.
            (2) Report to congress and the national highway traffic 
        safety administration.--Not later than 30 days after completion 
        of the evaluation under paragraph (1), the Attorney General 
        shall submit to Congress and the Administrator of the National 
        Highway Traffic Safety Administration a report including--
                    (A) the results of the evaluation conducted under 
                paragraph (1) by the National Institute of Justice; and
                    (B) information reported by each eligible recipient 
                under subsection (g).
    (i) Authorization of Appropriations.--
            (1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated to 
        carry out the Program $50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2023 
        through 2027.
            (2) New program implementation.--
                    (A) In general.--At least 15 percent of funds 
                awarded under the Program, on an annual basis, shall be 
                awarded to an eligible recipient to implement a new 24-
                7 sobriety program.
                    (B) New program.--An eligible recipient awarded 
                funds under subparagraph (A), shall be ineligible for 
                further grants under this Program if no such 24-7 
                sobriety program has been implemented two years after 
                the distribution of Program funds under subparagraph 
                (A).
            (3) Training and technical assistance.--At least 1 percent 
        of annual Program funds shall be awarded to an eligible 
        recipient under the Program for training and technical 
        assistance related to the administration of 24-7 sobriety 
        programs.
    (j) 24-7 Sobriety Program Defined.--In this section, the term ``24-
7 sobriety program'' has the meaning given such term in section 
405(d)(7)(a) of title 23, United States Code.
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