Senator Lamar Alexander said the bill he voted for Thursday in the Senate Appropriations Committee will give states like Tennessee a boost in their fight against the opioid crisis. The bill provides $505 million for U.S. Department of Justice grants to help states including Tennessee tackle the opioid crisis. States could use the grants to help fund their drug courts, educational efforts, law enforcement programs, recovery programs, and treatment programs.
Alexander said, “Our law enforcement officers witness almost daily the tragedy associated with the opioid crisis, which effects virtually every American community. This funding will help give them the support they need to keep our communities safe.”
The bill also includes $100 million for the STOP School Violence Act – legislation that allows the Department of Justice to make grants to states for training, technology and equipment, and technical assistance to help stop school violence. Some #12 million for meth lab cleanup is included in the measure, which also provides $38 million for the Regional Information Sharing Systems Program (RISS) to assist law enforcement agencies in collecting and sharing information, supporting criminal investigations and promoting law enforcement officer safety
The legislation is now ready for consideration by the full Senate.