H.R. 654 – Drug-Free Communities Pandemic Relief Act

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Updated February 7, 2026 at 9:57 PM UTC

The Drug-Free Communities Pandemic Relief Act lets the administrator of the Drug‑Free Communities Support Program increase federal grant amounts when COVID‑19 hampers a coalition’s ability to raise non‑federal funds. It also raises the allowable share of grant money that can be used for administrative costs from 8% to 12%. The changes affect eligible community coalitions that receive these anti‑drug grants and the program’s administrator.

Key Provisions

If a COVID‑related public health emergency prevents a coalition from meeting its pledged non‑federal contributions, the administrator may waive the usual fund‑matching limits and provide a larger grant for that fiscal year.
For initial or renewal grants, the waiver can cover amounts exceeding the coalition’s non‑federal contributions, up to 125% for certain renewals and up to 150% for others.
The administrator cannot exceed the total amount originally agreed to be provided under the grant agreement.
The cap on administrative expenses in the Anti‑Drug Abuse Act of 1988 is increased from 8% to 12% of the grant amount.

Legislative Activity

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18 earlier actions

SenateIntro Referral Latest Action

Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Judiciary Committee

October 21, 2021

View full timeline

HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

February 1, 2021

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Energy and Commerce Committee

February 1, 2021

HouseCommittee

Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

Health Subcommittee

February 2, 2021

HouseCommittee

Subcommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.

Health Subcommittee

July 15, 2021

HouseCommittee

Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee (Amended) by Voice Vote .

Health Subcommittee

July 15, 2021

HouseCommittee

Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.

Energy and Commerce Committee

July 21, 2021

HouseCommittee

Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.

Energy and Commerce Committee

July 21, 2021

HouseCommittee

Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Energy and Commerce. H. Rept. 117-146.

Energy and Commerce Committee

October 19, 2021

HouseCalendars

Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 106.

October 19, 2021

HouseFloor

Mr. Pallone moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.

October 19, 2021 • 4:23 PM

HouseFloor

Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H5650-5651)

October 19, 2021 • 4:23 PM

HouseFloor

DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 654.

October 19, 2021 • 4:23 PM

HouseFloor

At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.

October 19, 2021 • 4:31 PM

HouseFloor

Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H5700)

October 20, 2021 • 2:22 PM

HouseFloor

Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 395 - 30 (Roll no. 321).(text: CR 10/19/2021 H5650)

View vote Passed

October 20, 2021 • 2:40 PM

HouseFloor

On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 395 - 30 (Roll no. 321). (text: CR 10/19/2021 H5650)

View vote Passed

October 20, 2021 • 2:40 PM

HouseFloor

Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

October 20, 2021 • 2:40 PM

HouseFloor

The title of the measure was amended. Agreed to without objection.

October 20, 2021 • 2:40 PM

SenateIntro Referral

Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Judiciary Committee

October 21, 2021

Voting History

1 vote recorded • Roll call available

HOUSE

Roll Call Available

October 20, 2021 at 2:37 PM

On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended

Majority required: 2/3 (66.7%)

Passed

395 - 30

Floor Debate

5 members

What members said about H.R. 654 on the floor

4 Republicans1 Democrat

Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr.D-NJ-6 · Oct 19, 2021

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 654) to provide the Administrator of the Drug-Free Communities Support Program the authority to waive the Federal fund limitation…

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 654) to provide the Administrator of the Drug-Free Communities Support Program the authority to waive the Federal fund limitation for the Drug-Free Communities Support Program, as amended.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 654.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 654, the Drug-Free Communities Pandemic Relief Act.

Since 1998, the Drug-Free Communities Program has been a pillar of our Nation's drug, alcohol, and tobacco prevention efforts.

The program is designed with community-based approaches in mind to reach at-risk communities, including racial and ethnic minorities and the LGBTQ community. It is estimated that one in five Americans live in a community with a Drug-Free Communities Coalition, and over 300,000 partners are engaged in prevention efforts.

Like many mission-driven, community-service organizations, Drug-Free Communities Coalitions have faced unprecedented challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many have had trouble sustaining their programming amid increasing rates of substance use. This is in part due to an inability to meet the matching fund requirements required of those receiving Drug-Free Communities grants.

H.R. 654 would allow the Drug-Free Communities Coalitions to seek

matching fund waivers and resume their work to enhance drug, alcohol, and tobacco prevention efforts. The legislation also allows additional funds to be made available for expanded technical assistance by the Drug-Free Communities Program, as requested in the administration's fiscal year 2022 budget. This additional support would provide critical resources to the Drug-Free Communities Coalitions facing the greatest challenges posed by the pandemic.

I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 654, a bipartisan bill that will allow important work to continue in our communities.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I have no additional speakers, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I urge support for this bill. It is very important in terms of trying to promote these coalitions at a local community level to prevent drug overuse.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Rep. Brett GuthrieR-KY-2 · Oct 19, 2021

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 654, the Drug-Free Communities Pandemic Relief Act, which was introduced by Representatives…

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 654, the Drug-Free Communities Pandemic Relief Act, which was introduced by Representatives Joyce and Kilmer.

The Drug-Free Communities Support Program funds community-based coalitions that work to prevent youth substance use disorders. Their work at the local level is important, especially as we sadly saw a record in overdose deaths last year.

We all know that the economic consequences of the pandemic have impacted many sectors, and that includes the sustainability of the Drug-Free Communities Support Program. Under current law, coalitions that receive Federal grants must match part of the funding with non- Federal funds. But the economic consequences of the pandemic have left many coalitions struggling to meet the matching requirement.

H.R. 654 temporarily permits the Office of National Drug Control Policy to waive the local matching requirement if a coalition is unable to fulfill this requirement due to the pandemic. Providing targeted relief for these coalitions will help them continue to implement local strategies to address the increases in substance use disorders and overdose deaths in our communities.

I thank Representatives Joyce and Kilmer for leading the support initiative, and I urge a ``yes'' vote.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time

Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Joyce), who is the primary sponsor of this piece of legislation.

Madam Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, my friend from Ohio said it best. Local solutions to community problems. It is a national problem. It is a statewide problem. But it is happening in each community, and so local solutions are part of the strategy moving forward. And giving these coalitions the opportunity to participate in these grants as they have seen some other funding and other resources dry up due to the pandemic, it is something that is important for us to continue and move this forward. I appreciate my friend from Ohio and my other good friend from Washington State for moving this forward.

Madam Speaker, I urge its passage, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Rep. David P. JoyceR-OH-14 · Oct 19, 2021

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill, the Drug-Free Communities Pandemic Relief Act. The unfortunate reality is that while the COVID-19 pandemic ravaged our Nation last year, so did the…

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill, the Drug-Free Communities Pandemic Relief Act.

The unfortunate reality is that while the COVID-19 pandemic ravaged our Nation last year, so did the opioid crisis.

More than 93,000 overdose deaths were reported in 2020.

Meanwhile, enough fentanyl has been seized at our southern border this year to kill the entire U.S. population seven times over.

And just the other week, the DEA warned that counterfeit pills laced with this deadly synthetic opioid are spreading across all 50 States.

These statistics are harrowing, and the stories of loss they cause are heartbreaking. All of us have loved ones, friends, or neighbors in our communities that have been impacted.

As a former Geauga County prosecutor, I saw firsthand how addiction has devastated communities in northeast Ohio and know how important it is to support local efforts that reduce and prevent youth drug use.

That is why I introduced the Drug-Free Communities Pandemic Relief Act with my friend and colleague on the other side of the aisle, Congressman Kilmer.

Recognizing that local problems need local solutions, the Drug-Free Communities Program provides funding to local coalitions that engage multiple sectors of their communities in order to reduce and prevent substance abuse disorder among younger Americans.

No other drug prevention program has consistently achieved the same reduction in youth drug use than the Drug-Free Communities Program has.

However, hundreds of coalitions have been unable to meet the program's local matching requirements due to financial difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

My bipartisan legislation will address that challenge and ensure these coalitions have the resources and flexibility they need during these difficult times to combat the crisis of addiction gripping our country.

With more Americans dying from drug overdoses than ever before, it is critical that we do everything we can to support and empower those working on the front lines in our communities to reduce and prevent addiction among our children.

I strongly urge all my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this bill today.

Rep. Anthony GonzalezR-OH-16 · Oct 20, 2021

Madam Speaker, I missed a vote on H.R. 654, The Drug Free Communities Pandemic Relief Act, due to a timing conflict, as I was questioning witnesses at a Select Committee on the Climate Crisis hearing…

Rep. Bob GoodR-VA-5 · Oct 19, 2021

Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Bill Text

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Referred in SenateIssued October 21, 2021

IIB

117th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 654

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

October 21, 2021

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

AN ACT

To provide the Administrator of the Drug-Free Communities Support Program the authority to waive the Federal fund limitation for the Drug-Free Communities Support Program, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Drug-Free Communities Pandemic Relief Act.

2.

Waiver of Federal fund limitation for the Drug-Free Communities Support Program

(a)

In general

Subject to subsection (b), if the Administrator of the Drug-Free Communities Support Program determines that, as a result of the public health emergency declared pursuant to section 319 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d) as a result of COVID–19, an eligible coalition is unable to raise the amount of non-Federal funds, including in-kind contributions, agreed to be raised by the coalition for a fiscal year under an agreement entered into with the Administrator pursuant to paragraph (1)(A) or (3) of section 1032(b) of the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988 (21 U.S.C. 1532(b)), the Administrator may, notwithstanding such paragraphs, provide to the eligible coalition the grant or renewal grant, as applicable, for that fiscal year in an amount—

(1)

with respect to an initial grant or renewal grant described under paragraph (1)(A) or (3)(A) of such section, that exceeds the amount of non-Federal funds raised by the eligible coalition, including in-kind contributions, for that fiscal year;

(2)

with respect to a renewal grant described under paragraph (3)(D)(i) of such section, that exceeds 125 percent of the amount of non-Federal funds raised by the eligible coalition, including in-kind contributions, for that fiscal year; and

(3)

with respect to a renewal grant described under paragraph (3)(D)(ii) of such section, that exceeds 150 percent of the amount of non-Federal funds raised by the eligible coalition, including in-kind contributions, for that fiscal year.

(b)

Limitation

The Administrator may not provide a grant or renewal grant to an eligible coalition in an amount exceeding the amount of funds initially agreed to be provided by the Administrator under the applicable agreement.

3.

Raising cap on administrative expenses under Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988

Section 1024(b) of the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988 (21 U.S.C. 1524(b)) is amended by striking 8 percent and inserting 12 percent.

Passed the House of Representatives October 20, 2021.

Cheryl L. Johnson,

Clerk