,i  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #hag  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of   
,,representatives  ,january #bh1        
#bjai,ms4 ,kuster of ,new ,hampshire    
introduced the following bill2 which was
 referred to the ,committee on the      
,judiciary  ,a ,,bill  ,to combat the   
heroin epidemic and drug sample         
backlogs4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,combating the      
,heroin ,epidemic ,through ,forensic    
,drug ,testing ,act of #bjai4  #b4      
,confronting the use of heroin and      
associated drugs ,title ,i of the       
,omnibus ,crime ,control and ,safe      
,streets ,act of #aifh 7#db ,u4,s4,c4   
#cgaa et seq47 is amended by adding at  
the end the following3  ,,ll            
,confronting the use of heroin and      
associated drugs  #cjba4 ,authority to  
make grants to address public safety and
 heroin distribution1 sale1 and use  7a7
 ,purpose ,the purpose of this section  
is to assist ,states and ,indian tribes 
to-- 7#a7 carry out programs to address 

the distribution1 sale1 and use of      
heroin1 fentanyl1 and associated        
synthetic drugs2 and  7#b7 improve the  
ability of ,state1 tribal1 and local    
government institutions to carry out    
such programs4  7b7 ,grant authorization
 ,the ,attorney ,general1 through the   
,bureau of ,justice ,assistance1 may    
make grants to ,states to address the   
distribution1 sale1 and use of heroin1  
fentanyl1 and associated synthetic drugs
 to enhance public safety4  7c7 ,grant  
projects ,to address distribution1 sale1
 and use of heroin1 fentanyl1 and       
associated synthetic drugs ,grants made 
under subsection 7b7 may be used for    
programs1 projects1 and other activities
 to-- 7#a7 reimburse ,state1 local1 or  
other forensic science laboratories to  
help address backlogs of untested       
samples of heroin1 fentanyl1 and        
associated synthetic drugs2  7#b7       
reimburse ,state1 local1 or other       
forensic science laboratories for       
procuring equipment1 technology1 or     

other support systems if the applicant  
for the grant demonstrates to the       
satisfaction of the ,attorney ,general  
that expenditures for such purposes     
would result in improved efficiency of  
laboratory testing and help prevent     
future backlogs2  7#c7 reimburse ,state1
 tribal1 and local law enforcement      
agencies for procuring field-testing    
equipment for use in the identification 
or detection of heroin1 fentanyl1 and   
associated synthetic drugs2  7#d7       
investigate1 arrest1 and prosecute      
individuals violating laws related to   
the distribution or sale of heroin1     
fentanyl1 and associated synthetic      
drugs2 and  7#e7 support ,state1 tribal1
 and local health department services   
deployed to address the use of heroin1  
fentanyl1 and associated synthetic      
drugs4  7d7 ,limitation ,not less than  
#fj percent of the amounts made         
available to carry out this section     
shall be awarded for the purposes under 
paragraph 7#a7 or 7#b7 of subsection    

7c74  7e7 ,authorization of             
appropriations ,there are authorized to 
be appropriated to carry out this       
section #aj1jjj1jjj for each of fiscal  
years #bjai and #bjbj4  7f7 ,allocation 
7#a7 ,population allocation             
,seventy-five percent of the amount made
 available to carry out this section in 
a fiscal year shall be allocated to each
 ,state that meets the requirements of  
section #bhjb so that each ,state shall 
receive an amount that bears the same   
ratio to the #ge percent of the total   
amount made available to carry out this 
section for that fiscal year as the     
population of the ,state bears to the   
population of all ,states4  7#b7        
,discretionary allocation  7,a7 ,in     
general ,twenty-five percent of the     
amount made available to carry out this 
section in a fiscal year shall be       
allocated pursuant to the discretion of 
the ,attorney ,general for competitive  
grants to ,states with high rates of    
primary treatment admissions for heroin 

and other opioids1 for use by ,state law
 enforcement agencies4  7,b7            
,considerations ,in making grants under 
subparagraph 7,a71 the ,attorney        
,general shall consider-- 7i7 the       
average annual number of part #a violent
 crimes reported by each ,state to the  
,federal ,bureau of ,investigation for  
the #c most recent calendar years for   
which data is available2 and  7ii7 the  
existing resources and current needs of 
the potential grant recipient4  7#c7    
,minimum requirement ,each ,state shall 
receive not less than #j4f percent of   
the amount made available to carry out  
this section in each fiscal year4  7#d7 
,certain territories  7,a7 ,in general  
,for purposes of the allocation under   
this section1 ,american ,samoa and the  
,commonwealth of the ,northern ,mariana 
,islands shall be considered as #a      
,state4  7,b7 ,allocation amongst       
certain territories ,for purposes of    
subparagraph 7,a71 #fg percent of the   
amount allocated shall be allocated to  

,american ,samoa and #cc percent shall  
be allocated to the ,commonwealth of the
 ,northern ,mariana ,islands4  4