S.Amdt. 3424

SA 3424. Mrs. SHAHEEN submitted an amendment intended to be proposed
by her to the bill S. 524, to authorize the Attorney General to award
grants to address the national epidemics of prescription opioid abuse
and heroin use; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

At the appropriate place, insert the following:

SEC. ___. COMBAT HEROIN EPIDEMIC AND BACKLOG ACT.

(a) Short Title.--This section may be cited as the ``Combat
Heroin Epidemic and Backlog Act of 2016''.
(b) Confronting the Use of Heroin and Associated Drugs.--
Title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of
1968 (42 U.S.C. 3711 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end
the following:

``PART LL--CONFRONTING THE USE OF HEROIN AND ASSOCIATED DRUGS

``SEC. 3021. AUTHORITY TO MAKE GRANTS TO ADDRESS PUBLIC
SAFETY AND HEROIN DISTRIBUTION, SALE, AND USE.

``(a) Purpose.--The purpose of this section is to assist
States and Indian tribes to--
``(1) carry out programs to address the distribution, sale,
and use of heroin, fentanyl, and associated synthetic drugs;
and
``(2) improve the ability of State, tribal, and local
government institutions to carry out such programs.
``(b) Grant Authorization.--The Attorney General, through
the Bureau of Justice Assistance, may make grants to States
and Indian tribes to address the distribution, sale, and use
of heroin, fentanyl, and associated synthetic drugs to
enhance public safety.
``(c) Grant Projects To Address Distribution, Sale, and Use
of Heroin, Fentanyl, and Associated Synthetic Drugs.--Grants
made under subsection (b) may be used for programs, projects,
and other activities to--
``(1) reimburse State, local, or other public crime
laboratories and medical examiners to help address backlogs
of untested samples of heroin, fentanyl, and associated
synthetic drugs as well as associated toxicology testing;
``(2) reimburse State, local, or other public crime
laboratories and medical examiners for procuring equipment,
technology, 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 backlogs;
``(3) reimburse State, tribal, and local law enforcement
agencies for procuring field-testing equipment for use in the
identification or detection of heroin, fentanyl, and
associated synthetic drugs;
``(4) investigate, arrest, and prosecute individuals
violating laws related to the distribution or sale of heroin,
fentanyl, and associated synthetic drugs; and
``(5) support State, tribal, and local health department
services deployed to address the use of heroin, fentanyl, and
associated synthetic drugs.
``(d) Limitation.--Not less than 60 percent of the amounts
made available to carry out this section shall be awarded for
the purposes under paragraph (1) or (2) of subsection (c).
``(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section
$10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2017, 2018, and 2019.
``(f) Allocation.--
``(1) 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 2802 so that each State shall receive
an amount that bears the same ratio to the 75 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 States.
``(2) Discretionary allocation.--
``(A) 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 Attorney General's discretion for
competitive awards to States and Indian tribes.
``(B) Considerations.--In making awards under subparagraph
(A), the Attorney General shall consider--
``(i) the average annual number of part 1 violent crimes
reported by each State to the Federal Bureau of Investigation
for the 3 most recent calendar years for which data is
available; and
``(ii) the existing resources and current needs of the
potential grant recipient.
``(3) Minimum requirement.--Each State shall receive not
less than 0.6 percent of the amount made available to carry
out this section in each fiscal year.
``(4) Certain territories.--
``(A) In general.--For purposes of the allocation under
this section, American Samoa and the Commonwealth of the
Northern Mariana Islands shall be considered as 1 State.
``(B) Allocation amongst certain territories.--For purposes
of subparagraph (A), 67 percent of the amount allocated shall
be allocated to American Samoa and 33 percent shall be
allocated to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana
Islands.''.
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