[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1599 Introduced in House (IH)]
108th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1599
To amend the Office of National Drug Control Policy Act Reauthorization
Act of 1998 to ensure that adequate funding is provided for certain
high intensity drug trafficking areas.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 3, 2003
Mr. Cummings (for himself and Mr. Souder) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Government Reform, and in
addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration
of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee
concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Office of National Drug Control Policy Act Reauthorization
Act of 1998 to ensure that adequate funding is provided for certain
high intensity drug trafficking areas.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Dawson Family Community Protection
Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) In the early morning hours of October 16, 2002, the
home of Carnell and Angela Dawson was firebombed in apparent
retaliation for Mrs. Dawson's notification of police about
persistent drug distribution activity in their East Baltimore
City neighborhood.
(2) The arson claimed the lives of Mr. and Mrs. Dawson and
their 5 young children, aged 9 to 14.
(3) The horrific murder of the Dawson family is a stark
example of domestic narco-terrorism.
(4) In all phases of counter-narcotics law enforcement--
from prevention to investigation to prosecution to reentry--the
voluntary cooperation of ordinary citizens is a critical
component.
(5) Voluntary cooperation is difficult for law enforcement
officials to obtain when citizens feel that cooperation carries
the risk of violent retaliation by illegal drug trafficking
organizations and their affiliates.
(6) Public confidence that law enforcement is doing all it
can to make communities safe is a prerequisite for voluntary
cooperation among people who may be subject to intimidation or
reprisal (or both).
(7) Witness protection programs are insufficient on their
own to provide security because many individuals and families
who strive everyday to make distressed neighborhoods livable
for their children, other relatives, and neighbors will resist
or refuse offers of relocation by local, State, and Federal
prosecutorial agencies and because, moreover, the continued
presence of strong individuals and families is critical to
preserving and strengthening the social fabric in such
communities.
(8) Where (as in certain sections of Baltimore City)
interstate trafficking of illegal drugs has severe ancillary
local consequences within areas designated as High Intensity
Drug Trafficking Areas, it is important that supplementary
HIDTA Program funds be committed to support initiatives aimed
at making the affected communities safe for the residents of
those communities and encouraging their cooperation with local,
State, and Federal law enforcement efforts to combat illegal
drug trafficking.
SEC. 3. FUNDING FOR CERTAIN HIGH INTENSITY DRUG TRAFFICKING AREAS.
(a) In General.--Section 707(d) of the Office of National Drug
Control Policy Act Reauthorization Act of 1998 (21 U.S.C. 1760(d);
Public Law 105-277; 112 Stat. 2681-670) is amended--
(1) by striking ``The Director'' and inserting the
following:
``(1) Limitation.--The Director''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
``(2) Specific purposes.--The Director shall ensure that,
of the amounts appropriated for a fiscal year for the High
Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Program, at least $1,000,000
is used in high intensity drug trafficking areas with severe
neighborhood safety and illegal drug distribution problems. The
funds shall be used--
``(A) to ensure the safety of neighborhoods and the
protection of communities, including the prevention of
the intimidation of potential witnesses of illegal drug
distribution and related activities; and
``(B) to combat illegal drug trafficking through
such methods as the Director considers appropriate,
such as establishing or operating (or both) a toll-free
telephone hotline for use by the public to provide
information about illegal drug-related activities.''.
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