To help fight the nation’s rising opioid epidemic during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. Rep. Dave Joyce (R-OH) on Feb. 1 sponsored a bipartisan bill that would temporarily waive the government’s local matching requirements for Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Coalition program grantees.
A DFC Coalition is a community-based formal group of representatives from 12 sectors — including youth, parents, business, media, school, law enforcement, religious or fraternal organizations, volunteers, and healthcare professionals, among others — who organize and meet to address local youth substance use and to implement local solutions toward building a safe, healthy and drug-free community, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“I’m proud to introduce this bipartisan legislation to give this program the flexibility it needs to continue its life-saving work during these difficult times,” Rep. Joyce said on Monday. “I urge the House to act quickly on this bill so that we can ensure youth addiction prevention programs have the resources to conduct effective outreach in our communities during the ongoing pandemic.”
Specifically, the Drug-Free Communities Pandemic Relief Act, H.R. 654, which Rep. Joyce introduced with lead cosponsor U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer (D-WA), would authorize the Office of National Drug Control Policy the authority to waive its local matching requirements if DFC Coalition program grantees are unable to meet them.
“While we continue to administer COVID-19 vaccinations and rein in the pandemic, we cannot turn a blind eye to the ongoing opioid crisis,” said Rep. Joyce, adding that the evidence-based DFC Coalitions program “has helped us combat the opioid crisis at the local level and has made a difference in the lives of countless young Ohioans.”
“I’m supporting this bipartisan plan to help make sure that these community-based programs have the resources they need — today and in the future — to help our kids succeed,” added Rep. Kilmer.