Legislative Updates

You just received a legislative update with the good news that the Drug Free Communities (DFC) program was increased in Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 by $2 million to a total of $97 million; in addition, the new CARA Coalition Enhancement grant program for current and former DFC grantees was funded at $3 million. FY 17 runs until September 30, 2017.

UNFORTUNATELY, despite this great news from Congress for FY 17, we have just gotten word today that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in the Executive Office of the President is proposing to ZERO out — eliminate all funding — for both the DFC and High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) programs as well as cut the ONDCP staff by about two-thirds in the President’s FY 18 budget proposal to Congress.

CADCA is currently working diligently with other national groups who have an interest in keeping all funding that was appropriated in FY 17 for ONDCP and its programs intact in the President’s budget proposal to reverse the internal administration decision before it is ever sent to Congress.

As always, CADCA remains vigilant with respect to our movement and shall remain a mouthpiece here in Washington as it relates to our field.

We will keep you all posted as the FY 18 budget process unfolds and want to remind everyone that the President’s budget is just a proposal to Congress – it is Congress who actually determines the funding levels for every federally funded program.