Sponsors (10)
The bill directs modest, targeted federal funding to expand school-based drug‑prevention activities and sustain existing community coalitions while protecting most dollars for local programs, but the modest authorization, per-grant cap, and administrative requirements mean only a limited number of schools will benefit and smaller districts may face extra burdens.
Students and local youth gain access to new school-based drug‑prevention programs funded by grants (up to $75,000/year) to expand prevention activities in participating schools.
Local schools and existing Drug‑Free Communities coalitions can expand services through formal school partnerships and receive up to three years of renewal funding, supporting sustained local prevention efforts.
Taxpayers and local programs benefit from a limit on administrative overhead (8%), keeping a larger share of appropriated dollars available for direct local program activities.
Students and community coalitions face limited program reach because the $75,000 grant size and roughly $7 million annual authorization mean only a small number of schools/coalitions can be funded each year.
Small school districts and local coalitions must prepare detailed plans and meet evaluation/reporting requirements, creating additional administrative burden and potential costs for understaffed districts.
Nonprofits and local providers may be disadvantaged because only one eligible entity may formally partner with a given school, potentially excluding other local service providers or creating competition for partnerships.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Authorizes an ONDCP grant program to fund school–community drug prevention partnerships with awards up to $75,000/year and $7M authorized annually for FY2026–FY2031.
Creates a new ONDCP grant program to fund partnerships between Drug‑Free Communities grantee coalitions and local elementary, middle, or high schools to carry out evidence‑based drug prevention programs. Grants are one‑time initial awards with up to three annual renewals, capped at $75,000 per year, and Congress authorizes $7 million per year for FY2026–FY2031 to support the program and up to 8% for administration. Applications must include a detailed implementation plan, grants must supplement (not supplant) other funding, only one eligible coalition may partner with a given school, and existing federal evaluation rules for ONDCP grant programs apply.
Official title: To authorize grants to implement school-community partnerships for preventing substance use and misuse among youth.
Introduced January 31, 2025 by Linda T. Sánchez · Last progress January 31, 2025