Harder Backs Three Bills to Address the Drug Epidemic & Increase Funding for Valley Police Departments

WASHINGTON – Today, Representative Josh Harder announced he is backing three bipartisan bills to address the drug epidemic and fund Central Valley police departments. The bills, detailed below, will:

• Designate methamphetamine as an emerging drug threat and direct the federal government to implement a response plan;
• Add new warning labels to prescription opioids;
• Increase funding for small police departments to recruit and retain high quality officers.

"My number one priority is keeping families in the Valley safe," said Rep. Harder. "These bills will give law enforcement additional tools to keep deadly drugs out of our communities and get our police departments the funding they need recruit and retain the best officers."

Read more about the trio of bills below:

Methamphetamine Response Act of 2021 - This bill designates methamphetamine as an emerging drug threat (a new and growing trend in the use of an illicit drug or class of drug). It also directs the Office of National Drug Control Policy to implement a methamphetamine response plan.

LABEL Opioids Act - This bicameral bill requires prescription opioids to contain a warning label specifying that the opioids may cause dependence, addiction, and overdose.

Invest to Protect Act of 2022 - This bill provides federal investments to smaller police departments across the country (under 200 officers). Specifically, it makes: investments in officer safety, de-escalation, and domestic violence response training; investments for body worn cameras; investments for small departments to recruit new officers - or to be used by departments to provide retention bonuses to help keep their existing officers and provide investment for officers pursuing graduate degrees in public health, social work, and mental health; and investments for departments to provide mental health resources for their officers.

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