House Approves Spending Bill for Programs in the Department of Justice
On June 29th, the U.S. House of
Representatives approved the FY 2007 spending bill that includes programs in the Department of Justice serving people with histories of alcohol and
drug use and addiction and people with criminal records. Although most of the funding levels are the same as those approved by the House
Appropriations Committee earlier in June, a number of amendments that changed funding amounts were offered and approved on the House floor. Under the
House-approved spending bill, programs providing services to people with addiction histories and/or criminal records would receive the following
funding levels:
- The President's Prisoner Reentry
Initiative (PRI) would receive $7 million through the
Department of Justice, $2 million more than last year's funding and $8 million less than the President's FY 2007 budget request.
- The Residential Substance Abuse
Treatment (RSAT) program, which helps states and
localities to develop and implement residential substance abuse treatment programs in state and local correctional and detention facilities, would
receive $5 million, $5 million less than last year. The President had not requested any funding for the RSAT program in his FY
2007 budget.
- The Drug Court program,
which provides financial and technical assistance to
state and local governments and courts to develop and implement treatment drug courts, would receive $40 million under the House-approved spending
bill, a $30 million increase over last year's funding amount and nearly $30 million less than the President's budget
request.
-
The Byrne Justice Assistance Grant
(JAG) program, which funds programs providing a number of different prevention,
education, community corrections and drug treatment services, would receive $558.077 million, a $141.6 million
increase over last year's funding. The President had slated this program for elimination in his FY 2007 budget.
- The Enforcing Underage Drinking Laws
program, which supports and enhances efforts by states and localities to prohibit
the sale of alcoholic beverages to minors, and the purchase and consumption of alcoholic beverages by minors, would receive $25 million, funding
level to FY 2006. This program was also slated for elimination in the President's budget.
Additional information
about the House-approved Science/State/Justice/Commerce spending bill can be found at: http://thomas.loc.gov/home/approp/app07.html.
Legislation Aimed at Reducing Deaths Occurring from
Drug
Overdose Introduced in the Senate
On June 22nd, Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL)
introduced the "Drug Overdose Reduction Act." In his introductory comments on the legislation, Senator Durbin spoke about the 74
people who recently died in his home state from overdoses of heroin laced with fentanyl. Senator Durbin noted that first
responders in Chicago have treated over 600 people with drug overdoses since April, and expressed that his legislation seeks to strengthen and expand
community work to prevent deaths due to overdoses of both prescription and illicit drugs.
The legislation, S. 3557, would authorize a drug
overdose prevention grant program that would be overseen by the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
S. 3557 would authorize $25 million for this grant program for the 2007 and 2008 fiscal years, and such amounts deemed as necessary for fiscal
years 2009 through 2011. According to S. 3557, the Director of CDC could award grants or cooperative agreements to entities
to:
- train first responders, law enforcement and
corrections officials, and other people affected by drug use on the effective response to individuals who have overdosed on drugs;
- implement programs that provide overdose
prevention, recognition, treatment or response to people in need of such services, and
- evaluate, expand or replicate an existing
program that trains people about how to prevent drug overdose deaths.
S. 3557 would also require the Director of CDC to
annually compile and publish data on the deaths occurring from overdoses of drugs for the preceding year. In addition, the CDC
Director would be required to develop a plan to reduce the number of deaths occurring from drug overdoses within 180 days of the legislation's
enactment and to submit this plan to Congress; the plan would identify barriers to obtaining accurate data on the number of deaths occurring because
of drug overdoses and to implementing more effective overdose prevention strategies, and would require that the Director of CDC recommend legislative
or administrative actions deemed appropriate.
Following the legislation's introduction, S. 3557 was
referred to the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee where it awaits review. The text and status of S.
3557 can be found at: http://thomas.loc.gov/.
House Subcommittee Holds Hearing on Availability and Effectiveness of Services to Treat Addiction to
Methamphetamine; Witnesses Emphasize Effectiveness of Treatment and Underscore Need for Additional Funding
On June 28th, the House Government Reform
Subcommittee on Criminal Justice, Drug Policy and Human Resources conducted a hearing entitled, "Availability and Effectiveness of Programs to Treat
Victims of the Methamphetamine Epidemic." The hearing was led by Subcommittee Chairman Mark Souder (R-IN) and Ranking Member
Elijah Cummings (D-MD); additional members who participated included Representatives Patrick McHenry (R-NC), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), and
Virginia Foxx (R-NC).
Witnesses providing testimony to the Subcommittee
included Mr. Charles Currie, Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA); Dr. Nora Volkow, Director of
the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA); Dr. Bertha Madras, Deputy Director for Demand Reduction at the White House Office of National Control
Drug Policy (ONDCP); Ms. Leah Heaston, Director for Noble County (Indiana) of the Otis R. Bowen Center for Human Services; Dr. Richard Rawson,
Associate Director of Integrated Substance Abuse Programs at the UCLA; Mr. Russell Cronkhite, an individual in recovery from addiction to
methamphetamine; Mr. Darren and Ms. Aaronette Noble, individuals in recovery from addiction to methamphetamine, and their son, Joey Binckley; Mr.
Michael Harle, President and CEO of Gaudenzia, Inc.; and Mr. Pat Fleming, Director of Salt Lake County Substance Abuse Services.
In his opening statement to the Subcommittee, Chairman
Souder countered the misconception that drug treatment services are not effective for people addicted to methamphetamine, stating that
methamphetamine addiction can be treated effectively. Chairman Souder did express his concern that effective treatment for people
addicted to methamphetamine is not available where people need it the most and that a treatment vacuum exists. Chairman Souder
also noted that while there currently aren't any medications being used to help treat methamphetamine addiction, intense behavioral interventions
have proven effective. Ranking Member Cummings, in his comments to the Subcommittee, also spoke about the effectiveness of
treatment for addiction to methamphetamine and other drugs. Congressman Cummings, emphasizing the importance of getting people
with alcohol and other drug problems into treatment, noted the connection between drug use, crime, and risky behaviors including those that can cause
transmission of HIV and other diseases. Ranking Member Cummings identified the limited amount of funding for drug use prevention
and addiction treatment services as a major reason that more people are not able to get help and spoke in support of expanding funding for drug
addiction treatment services through the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment (SAPT) block grant and other programs at SAMHSA's Center for
Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT), funding for research at the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and for drug use education and prevention
programming.
In his comments to the Subcommittee, Congressman McHenry
spoke about the effectiveness of methamphetamine addiction treatment services in his home state of North Carolina, particularly the success of the
Matrix model. Congressman McHenry spoke about how between 2002 and 2005 treatment admissions for primary methamphetamine addiction
had doubled, and about how rural communities in his state had been hardest hit.
Dr. Madras, in her testimony on behalf of the ONDCP,
spoke about the impact of methamphetamine use and addiction on families, children and within the criminal justice system. Dr.
Madras also spoke about the importance of federal funding for drug addiction treatment services, emphasizing that the Bush Administration has sought
to target funding within the National Drug Control Strategy toward the SAPT block grant and other programs providing funding for early intervention,
addiction treatment, relapse prevention and recovery support services. Dr. Madras also spoke about the effectiveness of treatment
for addiction to methamphetamine and emphasized that the treatment system is flexible and can adapt to treating additional individuals addicted to
methamphetamine.
In his testimony, Mr. Curie spoke about a number of
SAMHSA's initiatives and explained how they help to prevent methamphetamine use and treat addiction to methamphetamine. Mr. Curie
began by speaking about the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention's Strategic Prevention Framework which seeks to address local needs by helping
communities to promote youth development, reduce risk-taking behaviors, and build assets and resilience. In particular, Mr. Curie noted the strong
success of grassroots community anti-drug coalitions in helping to prevent youth drug use. Mr. Curie also spoke about the
important connection between SAMHSA and NIDA, expressing that the two agencies partner very closely together to transfer the scientific knowledge
about addiction and the most effective ways to prevent and treat addiction to people working in the field.
Dr. Volkow, in her testimony to the Subcommittee,
explained how methamphetamine is extremely addictive and that addiction to methamphetamine is a disease of the brain. Dr. Volkow also spoke about how
treatment for addiction to methamphetamine is effective and that NIDA continues to research emerging types of behavioral interventions and medications
to assist in the treatment process. Dr. Volkow cited the intersection between addiction and crime, and spoke about NIDA's Criminal
Justice Drug Abuse Treatment Research Studies (CJ-DATS), a major research initiative that seeks to bring together researchers, criminal justice
professionals, and addiction treatment providers to develop new strategies to help individuals in the criminal justice system with histories of drug
use and addiction.
In his testimony, Mr. Harle spoke about the need for
additional funds for addiction treatment and prevention services. Mr. Harle noted the cost-savings of drug addiction treatment
services, and the importance of prevention, treatment and law enforcement professionals working together. Mr. Harle also expressed
his concern that a significant number of addiction professionals will be retiring over the next number of years and that a long-term plan is needed to
address these workforce issues, and for investment in the treatment system infrastructure. Ms. Heaston, in her comments to the
Subcommittee, identified a number of barriers to providing treatment services to individuals who are addicted to methamphetamine; specifically, Ms.
Heaston spoke about a need for additional qualified and experienced staff in rural areas to treat methamphetamine addiction, the need for additional
funding for treatment providers and the barrier of cost of treatment to the individual addicted to methamphetamine. Ms. Heaston
also noted that many individuals with methamphetamine addiction histories have been involved in the criminal justice system and that having a
criminal record acts as an additional barrier. Mr. Fleming also spoke about the effectiveness of treatment for methamphetamine,
but noted that for every one funded treatment slot, there are four individuals in need of treatment. Mr. Fleming called on
Congress to provide federal leadership on the issue of lack of adequate funding for addiction treatment services. In his comments,
Dr. Rawson spoke about the effectiveness of the Matrix model in treating methamphetamine addiction. Dr. Rawson also noted that,
despite misconceptions that treatment for methamphetamine addiction produces less effective outcomes than treatment for addiction to other drugs,
three clinical trials he has overseen have shown that outcomes are just as effective.
In testimony to the Subcommittee, Mr. Cronkhite spoke
about how he had been addicted to methamphetamine and other drugs in his adolescent years but that he has been living in long-term recovery from
addiction for the past thirty years. Mr. Cronkhite spoke about his professional and personal successes, detailing his time as
executive chef of Blair House, the Presidential Guest House and emphasized that people do recover from methamphetamine addiction and go on to lead
healthy, productive lives. Mr. and Mrs. Noble both spoke about their successful experiences in drug addiction treatment; each of
these panelists noted that the ability for their children to also receive services, and the presence of a comprehensive array of services for all of
their family members were key to their recovery process.
More information on the Subcommittee hearing, including
complete text of witness testimony, can be found at: http://reform.house.gov/CJDPHR/Hearings/EventSingle.aspx?EventID=46323.
Legislation Aimed at Helping Children Affected by Methamphetamine Approved by Senate
Committee
On June 15th, Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA)
introduced S.3525, the "Improving Outcomes for Children Affected by Meth Act of 2006." S.3525 seeks to improve access to and
authorize additional funding for family treatment programs that serve parents who are addicted to methamphetamine and their
families.
S. 3525 would authorize a grant program through the
Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Safe and Stable Families program that would provide funds to regional partnerships that work to
increase the well being of and improve the permanency outcomes for children affected by methamphetamine abuse and addiction.
Entities eligible to receive grant funds would include: state agencies responsible for administering the Substance Abuse Prevention and
Treatment block grant program, child welfare service providers, community providers of health or mental health services, law enforcement agencies,
courts, juvenile justice officials, schools, and state child welfare agencies. Grant funds would be disbursed based on
demonstrated need, and priority would be given to entities in rural areas that have been significantly affected by methamphetamine use and addiction
by parents/caretakers, have limited resources, and lack access to comprehensive treatment services.
S. 3525 would require that HHS reserve $40 million
within the Safe and Stable Families program for grants to improve the outcomes for children affected by methamphetamine use and
addiction. Funds would be required to be used for services and activities that seek to improve the well-being and permanence of
children affected by methamphetamine use and addiction, and if appropriate the child's family. Proposed uses include providing
family-based, long term, comprehensive drug treatment; early intervention services; prevention services; counseling; mental health services; and
parenting skills training. The legislation would require that the Safe and Stable Families program receive at least $345 million
in mandatory funding for the 2007 through 2011 fiscal years, and would also continue the discretionary funding authorization of $200
million.
In addition, S. 3525 would reauthorize and expand the
Mentoring Children of Prisoners Program, a competitive grant program which supports the establishment or expansion and operation of programs that
provide mentoring services to children of prisoners in areas with substantial numbers of children who have incarcerated parents.
S. 3525 would extend this program by authorizing HHS to enter into a cooperative agreement with a national mentoring support program to
increase the number of children of prisoners receiving mentoring services.
Following approval by the Senate Finance Committee, S.
3525 was placed on the Senate's Legislative Calendar. Timing for the bill's consideration by the full Senate is
unclear. Additional information about S. 3525, including the bill's text and status, can be found at: http://thomas.loc.gov/.
Legislation to Reauthorize the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Approved by the Senate; Differences Between the
House- and Senate-Approved Bills Must be Reconciled Before Legislation Can Become Law
On June 29th, the full Senate approved S.
1021, legislation to reauthorize the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), by unanimous consent. S. 1021 was approved in May of 2005 by
the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee. In March of 2005, the full House approved H.R. 27, its version
of legislation to reauthorize WIA. Both S. 1021 and H.R. 27 contain a provision that would require States to detail how they will
serve the employment and training needs of people in the hard-to-serve population; both bills include "ex-offenders" in the
hard-to-serve population definition.
Key provisions of S.1021 include:
- Requirement that State Workforce Investment
boards now must include the State economic development agency; the legislation requires that business representatives include representatives of
small businesses.
- Authorization of up to $250 million for Youth
Challenge Grants for each year in which the appropriation for youth activities exceeds $1 billion.
- Retention of the three separate funding
streams of WIA Adult, WIA Dislocated Workers, and the Wagner-Peyser Act employment service program.
- Requirement that adjustment of performance
measures to reflect economic conditions and the characteristics of the population served to remove disincentives to serving hard-to-serve
populations.
- Reauthorization and amendment of the Adult
Education and Family Literacy Act of 1998.
In order for WIA reauthorization legislation to become
law, the differing provisions in the House- and Senate-approved bills must first be resolved. It is unclear whether there will be
a formal conference committee convened to oversee the process this summer; Congress will be out on recess for the month of August and is scheduled to
adjourn at the beginning of October to prepare for the mid-term elections in November.
The text of both pieces of legislation can be found
at: http://thomas.loc.gov/
