H.R. 5052 would direct the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to enter into agreements with the National Academy of Sciences to evaluate the effectiveness of a proposed grant program to be administered by DOJ to combat opioid abuse. (Separate legislation would establish and authorize appropriations for those grants.) The bill would require the evaluations to be completed not later than five years after enactment.
Based on information from the National Academy of Sciences, CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 5052 would cost about $4 million over the 2016-2021 period, assuming enactment—through separate legislation—of a grant program to combat opioid abuse. Such spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds. For grant programs administered by DOJ, the department sets aside a portion of the funds appropriated for the grants to cover the cost of certain administrative activities including the evaluation of grantees.
Pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply because enacting the bill would not affect direct spending or revenues. CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 5052 would not increase net direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2027.
H.R. 5052 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act. Any costs to state, local, or tribal governments would result from complying with conditions of assistance.
