H.R. 6493 would amend the Alcohol and Substance Misuse Prevention Program (currently the Drug and Alcohol Abuse Prevention Program) and authorize the appropriation of $15 million for each of fiscal years 2023 through 2028 for grants to institutions of higher education to develop and implement programs that reduce or prevent alcohol and drug use. (That authorization would automatically be extended one year under the General Education Provisions Act.)
The bill also would add new requirements to those institutions’ alcohol and substance misuse prevention programs in order for them to maintain eligibility for assistance under any federal program. Finally, the bill would require the Secretary of Education, in coordination with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, to develop and issue guidance for the best practices on implementing those programs.
The costs of the legislation, detailed in Table 1, fall within budget function 500 (education, training, employment, and social services).
Based on historical spending patterns of similar grant programs, and assuming the appropriation of authorized amounts, CBO estimates that implementing the bill would cost $56 million over the 2022-2027 period and $49 million after 2027.
