Bruce’s Law

I 118TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 2867 To establish an awareness campaign related to the lethality of fentanyl and fentanyl-contaminated drugs, to establish a Federal Interagency Work Group on Fentanyl Contamination of Drugs, and to provide community- based coalition enhancement grants to mitigate the effects of drug use. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES APRIL 25, 2023 Mr. TRONE (for himself, Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky, Mr. LAMBORN, and Mrs. PELTOLA) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com- mittee on Energy and Commerce A BILL To establish an awareness campaign related to the lethality of fentanyl and fentanyl-contaminated drugs, to establish a Federal Interagency Work Group on Fentanyl Con- tamination of Drugs, and to provide community-based coalition enhancement grants to mitigate the effects of drug use. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as ‘‘Bruce’s Law’’. 4 VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:02 May 04, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2867.IH H2867 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 2 •HR 2867 IH SEC. 2. AWARENESS CAMPAIGNS. 1 (a) OPIOID PROGRAM.—Section 102 of the Com- 2 prehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2016 (Public 3 Law 114–198) is amended— 4 (1) in the section heading, by inserting ‘‘RE- 5 LATING TO OPIOIDS’’ after ‘‘CAMPAIGNS’’; and 6 (2) in subsection (c)— 7 (A) in paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘and’’ 8 after the semicolon; 9 (B) in paragraph (2)(B), by striking ‘‘; 10 and’’ and inserting a period; and 11 (C) by striking paragraph (3). 12 (b) ADDITIONAL CAMPAIGN.—Title I of the Com- 13 prehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2016 (Public 14 Law 114–198) is amended by inserting after section 102 15 the following: 16 ‘‘SEC. 102A. AWARENESS CAMPAIGN RELATED TO 17 LETHALITY OF FENTANYL AND FENTANYL- 18 CONTAMINATED DRUGS. 19 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Health and 20 Human Services, in coordination with the heads of other 21 Federal departments and agencies, shall, as appropriate, 22 through a public awareness campaign, advance the edu- 23 cation and awareness of the public (including school-aged 24 children, youth, parents, first responders, and providers) 25 and other appropriate entities regarding the risk of coun- 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:02 May 04, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2867.IH H2867 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 3 •HR 2867 IH terfeit drugs being contaminated with fentanyl or other 1 synthetic opioids and the lethality and other dangers of 2 synthetic opioids. 3 ‘‘(b) TOPICS.—The education and awareness cam- 4 paign under subsection (a) shall address— 5 ‘‘(1) the dangers of using drugs which may be 6 contaminated with fentanyl or other synthetic 7 opioids; 8 ‘‘(2) the prevention of substance use disorder 9 and use of prescription drugs other than as pre- 10 scribed, including through safe disposal of prescrip- 11 tion medications and other safety precautions; and 12 ‘‘(3) the detection of early warning signs of 13 substance use disorder and addiction in school-aged 14 children and youth. 15 ‘‘(c) OTHER REQUIREMENTS.—The education and 16 awareness campaign under subsection (a) shall, as appro- 17 priate, take into account any association between the use 18 of prescription drugs other than as prescribed and the use 19 of drugs that can be contaminated by fentanyl or other 20 opioids, including heroin. 21 ‘‘(d) DRUG DEFINED.—In this section, the term 22 ‘drug’ means— 23 ‘‘(1) an illicit drug, such as marijuana, hashish, 24 cocaine (including crack cocaine), inhalants, 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:02 May 04, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2867.IH H2867 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 4 •HR 2867 IH hallucinogens, heroin, a synthetic opioid, meth- 1 amphetamine or other stimulant; 2 ‘‘(2) a counterfeit prescription drug; or 3 ‘‘(3) a prescription drug that is sold illegally. 4 ‘‘(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 5 are authorized to be appropriated for fiscal years 2024 6 through 2028 such sums as may be necessary to carry 7 out this section.’’. 8 SEC. 3. FEDERAL INTERAGENCY WORK GROUP ON 9 FENTANYL CONTAMINATION OF DRUGS. 10 Title I of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery 11 Act of 2016 (Public Law 114–198), as amended by section 12 2(b), is further amended by inserting after section 102A 13 the following: 14 ‘‘SEC. 102B. FEDERAL INTERAGENCY WORK GROUP ON 15 FENTANYL CONTAMINATION OF DRUGS. 16 ‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary of Health 17 and Human Services (referred to in this section as the 18 ‘Secretary’) shall establish the Federal Interagency Work 19 Group on Fentanyl Contamination of Drugs (referred to 20 in this section as the ‘Work Group’). 21 ‘‘(b) MEMBERSHIP; CONSULTATION.— 22 ‘‘(1) COMPOSITION.—Not later than 120 days 23 after the date of enactment of Bruce’s Law, the 24 heads of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:02 May 04, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2867.IH H2867 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 5 •HR 2867 IH the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services 1 Administration, the Administration for Children and 2 Families, the Centers for Disease Control and Pre- 3 vention, the Department of Justice, the Drug En- 4 forcement Administration, the Department of State, 5 the Department of Education, and other Federal 6 agencies (as determined by the Secretary) shall des- 7 ignate representatives of the respective agency or of- 8 fice to the Work Group. 9 ‘‘(2) CONSULTATION.—The Work Group shall 10 consult with— 11 ‘‘(A) experts at the State, Tribal, and local 12 levels with relevant backgrounds in reducing, 13 preventing, and responding to drug overdose by 14 fentanyl contamination of drugs; 15 ‘‘(B) individuals in recovery from use of 16 fentanyl other than as prescribed or use of 17 other synthetic opioids; 18 ‘‘(C) family members of adults who have 19 overdosed by fentanyl-contaminated drugs; 20 ‘‘(D) family members of school-aged chil- 21 dren and youth who have overdosed by fentanyl- 22 contaminated drugs; 23 VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:02 May 04, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2867.IH H2867 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 6 •HR 2867 IH ‘‘(E) researchers and other experts in the 1 design and implementation of effective drug-re- 2 lated messaging and prevention campaigns; and 3 ‘‘(F) technology companies. 4 ‘‘(c) DUTIES.—The Work Group shall— 5 ‘‘(1) examine all Federal efforts directed to- 6 wards reducing and preventing drug overdose by 7 fentanyl- or other synthetic opioid-contaminated 8 drugs; 9 ‘‘(2) identify strategies, resources, and supports 10 to improve State, Tribal, and local responses to over- 11 dose by fentanyl- or other synthetic opioid-contami- 12 nated drugs; 13 ‘‘(3) make recommendations to Congress for 14 improving Federal programs and efforts and coordi- 15 nation across such programs and efforts to reduce 16 and prevent drug overdose by fentanyl- or other syn- 17 thetic opioid-contaminated drugs; and 18 ‘‘(4) make recommendations for educating 19 youth on the dangers of drugs contaminated by 20 fentanyl or other synthetic opioids. 21 ‘‘(d) ANNUAL REPORT TO SECRETARY.—The Work 22 Group shall annually prepare and submit to the Secretary, 23 the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pen- 24 sions of the Senate, and the Committee on Education and 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:02 May 04, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2867.IH H2867 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 7 •HR 2867 IH the Workforce and the Committee on Energy and Com- 1 merce of the House of Representatives, a report on the 2 activities carried out by the Work Group under subsection 3 (c), including recommendations to reduce and prevent 4 drug overdose by fentanyl or other synthetic opioid con- 5 tamination of drugs, in all populations, and specifically 6 among youth at risk for substance use disorder and use 7 of drugs other than as prescribed.’’. 8 SEC. 4. COMMUNITY-BASED COALITION ENHANCEMENT 9 GRANTS TO ADDRESS LOCAL DRUG CRISES. 10 Section 103(i) of the Comprehensive Addiction and 11 Recovery Act of 2016 (21 U.S.C. 1536(i)) is amended by 12 striking ‘‘2017 through 2021’’ and inserting ‘‘2024 13 through 2028’’. 14 SEC. 5. COMMUNITY-BASED COALITION ENHANCEMENT 15 GRANTS TO EDUCATE YOUTH ON THE RISKS 16 OF DRUGS CONTAMINATED WITH FENTANYL 17 OR OTHER SYNTHETIC OPIOIDS. 18 Title I of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery 19 Act of 2016 (Public Law 114–198) is amended by insert- 20 ing after section 103 (21 U.S.C. 1536) the following: 21 VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:02 May 04, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2867.IH H2867 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 8 •HR 2867 IH ‘‘SEC. 103A. COMMUNITY-BASED COALITION ENHANCEMENT 1 GRANTS TO EDUCATE YOUTH ON THE RISKS 2 OF DRUGS CONTAMINATED WITH FENTANYL 3 OR OTHER SYNTHETIC OPIOIDS. 4 ‘‘(a) PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.—The Director of the 5 Office of National Drug Control Policy (referred to in this 6 section as the ‘Director’), in coordination with the Direc- 7 tor of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 8 may make grants to eligible entities to implement edu- 9 cation of the public on the dangers of contamination of 10 drugs with fentanyl or other synthetic opioids. 11 ‘‘(b) APPLICATION.— 12 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—An eligible entity seeking a 13 grant under this section shall submit an application 14 to the Director at such time, in such manner, and 15 accompanied by such information as the Director 16 may require. 17 ‘‘(2) CRITERIA.—As part of an application for 18 a grant under this section, the Director shall require 19 an eligible entity to submit a detailed, comprehen- 20 sive, multisector plan for addressing the implementa- 21 tion of an evidence-based public education campaign 22 on the dangers of drugs contaminated with fentanyl 23 or other synthetic opioids, with a specific consider- 24 ation given to education focused on youth at in- 25 creased risk for developing a substance use disorder. 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:02 May 04, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2867.IH H2867 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 9 •HR 2867 IH ‘‘(3) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—For purposes of this 1 section, the term ‘eligible entity’ means an entity 2 that— 3 ‘‘(A) has documented, using local data, 4 rates of drug overdose related to fentanyl or 5 other synthetic opioids at levels that are signifi- 6 cant, as determined by the Director; and 7 ‘‘(B) has received a grant under the Drug- 8 Free Communities Act of 1997. 9 ‘‘(c) USE OF FUNDS.—An eligible entity shall use a 10 grant received under this section— 11 ‘‘(1) for programs designed to implement com- 12 prehensive community-wide prevention strategies to 13 address the dangers of drugs contaminated with 14 fentanyl or other synthetic opioids, in the area 15 served by the eligible entity, in accordance with the 16 plan submitted under subsection (b)(2); 17 ‘‘(2) to obtain specialized training and technical 18 assistance from the organization funded under sec- 19 tion 4 of Public Law 107–82 (21 U.S.C. 1521 note); 20 and 21 ‘‘(3) for programs designed to implement com- 22 prehensive community-wide strategies to address the 23 dangers of drugs contaminated with fentanyl or 24 other synthetic opioids in the community. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:02 May 04, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2867.IH H2867 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 10 •HR 2867 IH ‘‘(d) SUPPLEMENT NOT SUPPLANT.—An eligible en- 1 tity shall use Federal funds received under this section 2 only to supplement the funds that would, in the absence 3 of those Federal funds, be made available from other Fed- 4 eral and non-Federal sources for the activities described 5 in this section, and not to supplant those funds. 6 ‘‘(e) EVALUATION.—A grant under this section shall 7 be subject to the same evaluation requirements and proce- 8 dures as the evaluation requirements and procedures im- 9 posed on the recipient of a grant under the Drug-Free 10 Communities Act of 1997, and shall also include an eval- 11 uation of the effectiveness at reducing the use of illicit 12 fentanyl or other synthetic opioids. 13 ‘‘(f) LIMITATION ON ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES.— 14 Not more than 12 percent of the amounts made available 15 to carry out this section for a fiscal year may be used 16 to pay for administrative expenses. 17 ‘‘(g) DELEGATION AUTHORITY.—The Director may 18 enter into an interagency agreement with the Director of 19 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to dele- 20 gate authority for the execution of grants and for such 21 other activities, as the Director determines necessary to 22 carry out this section. 23 ‘‘(h) DEFINITION.—In this section, the term ‘drug’ 24 has the meaning given such term in section 102A. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:02 May 04, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2867.IH H2867 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 11 •HR 2867 IH ‘‘(i) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—For the 1 purpose of carrying out this section, there are authorized 2 to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary for 3 each of fiscal years 2024 through 2028.’’. 4 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:02 May 04, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00011 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H2867.IH H2867 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB