Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Reduction Act of 2016

Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Reduction Act of 2016

(Sec. 2) This bill amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to authorize the Department of Justice (DOJ) to award grants to state, local, and tribal governments to provide opioid abuse services, including:

• enhancing collaboration between criminal justice and substance abuse agencies;
• developing, implementing, or expanding programs to prevent, treat, or respond to opioid abuse;
• training first responders to administer opioid overdose reversal drugs; and
• investigating unlawful opioid distribution activities.

(Sec. 3) DOJ's Office of Inspector General must conduct annual audits of selected grant recipients. The bill prohibits grants to nonprofit organizations that hold money in an offshore account to avoid tax liability.

(Sec. 4) The bill also authorizes DOJ to award grants to state, local, and tribal governments to establish or expand programs for veterans, including:

• veterans treatment courts;
• peer-to-peer services;
• treatment, rehabilitation, legal, or transitional services to incarcerated veterans; or
• training for relevant personnel to identify and appropriately respond to incidents.

(Sec. 5) To offset the cost, the bill amends the Justice Assistance Act of 1984 to eliminate existing authority for DOJ to award grants under the Emergency Federal Law Enforcement Assistance Program through FY2021.

(Sec. 6) It expands specified grant purposes under the Family-Based Substance Abuse Treatment Program to include prison-based family treatment programs for pregnant women.

(Sec. 7) The Government Accountability Office must study and report to Congress on how DOJ grant programs address the prevention of, treatment for, and recovery from substance use and substance use disorders among adolescents and young adults.

Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov