Reps. Introduce Bill to Decriminalize Drug Possession, Shift to Health-Centered Approach

Two members of the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday introduced a bill that would reshape the federal government’s approach to illicit substance use by eliminating federal criminal penalties for drug possession, shift regulatory authority from the U.S. attorney general to the HHS secretary, expunge criminal records, and shift to health-centered approaches.

The Drug Policy Reform Act was introduced by Reps. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-New Jersey) and Cori Bush (D-Missouri) along with the Drug Policy Alliance, which was a partner on development of the legislation. Broadly, the bill calls for the federal government “to ‘refocus its strategies’ for addressing substance use” as a health issue, not a criminal issue.

Among its provisions, the DPRA would also:

• Reallocate funding to support programs that expand access to SUD treatment, support harm reduction services, and support development and expansion of pre-arrest diversion programs.
• Prohibit the denial of employment or termination based on a criminal history of drug possession.
• Prevent drug use charges and/or convictions from being held against individuals receiving federal benefits such as housing assistance, and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) support.
• Direct HHS to establish a Commission on Substance Use, Health and Safety that would determine benchmark amounts drug possession and produce a report that includes recommendations for preventing prosecution of individuals possessing, distributing or dispensing personal use quantities of drugs within 180 days.

The Drug Policy Alliance has published a summary of the act on its website.