The government spending bill approved in early May included funding for heroin and opioid addiction treatment and prevention at $160.5 million for FY 2017, adding $35.5 million over fiscal year 2016, according to the Los Alamos Post. The funding includes $10 million for states to develop an anti-heroin task force under the federal Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program.
The competitive grant program assists state law enforcement agencies in states with high per capita levels of primary treatment admissions for both heroin and other opioids. Grants are to be used for investigative purposes to locate or investigate illicit activities related to heroin distribution or unlawful prescription opioid distribution.
Only state-level law enforcement agencies are eligible to apply for anti-heroin task force funding. However, local law enforcement agencies are encouraged to partner with them on AHTF-funded projects.
While the official grant announcement has not been made, the U.S. Department of Justice is encouraging all applicants to prepare at this time.
