AN ACT To provide a comprehensive Federal program for the prevention and treatment of alcohol abuse and alcoholism.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SHORT TITLE

SECTION 1. This Act may be cited as the "Comprehensive Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention, Treatment, and Rehabilitation Act of 1970".

FINDINGS AND PURPOSE

SEC. 2. [4541] (a) The Congress finds that—

(1) alcohol is one of the most dangerous drugs and the drug most frequently abused in the United States;

(2) approximately ten million, or 7 percent, of the adults in the United States are alcoholics or problem drinkers;

(3) it is estimated that alcoholism and other alcohol related problems cost the United States over $43,000,000,000 annually in lost production, medical and public assistance expenditures, police and court costs, and motor vehicle and other accidents;

(4) alcohol abuse is found with increasing frequency among persons who are multiple-drug abusers and among former heroin users who are being treated in methadone maintenance programs;

(5) alcohol abuse is being discovered among growing numbers of youth;

(6) alcohol abuse and alcoholism have a substantial impact on the families of alcohol abusers and alcoholics and contributes to domestic violence;

(7) alcohol abuse and alcoholism, together with abuse of other legal and illegal drugs, present a need for prevention and intervention programs designed to reach the general population and members of high risk populations such as youth, women, the elderly, and families of alcohol abusers and alcoholics; and

(8) alcoholism is an illness requiring treatment and rehabilitiation through the assistance of a broad range of community health and social services and with the cooperation of law enforcement agencies, employers, employee associations, and associations of concerned individuals.

(b) It is the policy of the United States and the purpose of this Act to approach alcohol abuse and alcoholism from a comprehensive community care standpoint, and to meet the problems of alcohol abuse and alcoholism through

(1) comprehensive Federal, State, and local planning for, and effective use of, Federal assistance to States, and direct Federal assistance to community-based programs to meet the urgent needs of special populations, in coordination with all other governmental and nongovernmental sources of assistance;

(2) the development of methods for diverting problem drinkers from criminal justice systems into prevention and treatment programs;

(3) the development and encouragement of prevention programs designed to combat and spread of alcoholism, alcohol abuse, and abuse of other legal and illegal drugs;

(4) the development and encouragement of effective occupational prevention and treatment programs within government and in cooperation with the private sector; and

(5) increased Federal commitment to research into the behavioral and biomedical etiology of, the treatment of, and the mental and physical health and social and economic consequences of, alcohol abuse and alcoholism.

TITLE I—NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON ALCOHOL ABUSE AND ALCOHOLISM

ESTABLISHMENT OF THE INSTITUTE

SEC. 101. [4551] (a) There is established the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (hereafter in this Act referred to as the "Institute") to administer the programs and authorities assigned to the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare (hereafter in this Act referred to as the "Secretary") by this Act and part C of the Community Mental Health Centers Act. The Secretary, acting through the Institute, shall, in carrying out the purposes of sections 301 and 303 of the Public Health Service Act with respect to alcohol abuse and alcoholism, develop and conduct comprehensive health, education, training, research, and planning programs for the prevention and treatment of alcohol abuse and alcoholism and for the rehabilitation of alcohol abusers and alcoholics. The Secretary shall carry out through the Institute the administrative and financial management, policy development and planning, evaluation, and public information functions which are required for the implementation of such programs and authorities.

(b)(1) The Institute shall be under the direction of a Director who shall be appointed by the Secretary.

(2) The Director, with the approval of the Secretary, may employ and prescribe the functions of such officers and employees, including attorneys, as are necessary to administer the programs to be carried out through the Institute.

(c) The programs to be carried out through the Institute shall be administered so as to encourage the broadest possible participation of professionals and paraprofessionals in the fields of medicine, science, the social sciences, and other related disciplines.

(d)(1) The Director shall make special efforts to develop and coordinate preventions, treatment, reserach, and administrative policies and programs which focus on the needs of underserved populations.

(2) The Secretary shall include in the annual report to the President and the Congress required by section 102(1) a description of the actions taken by the Director under paragraph (1).

REPORTS BY THE SECRETARY

SEC. 102. [4552] The Secretary shall—

(1) submit an annual report to Congress which shall include a description of the actions taken, services provided, and funds expended under this Act and part C of the Community Mental Health Centers Act, an evaluation of the effectiveness of such actions, services, and expenditures of funds, a description, prepared in consultation with the committee established under section 103, of the extent to which Federal programs and departments are concerned and dealing effectively with the problems of alcohol abuse and alcoholism, and such other information as the Secretary considers appropriate;

(2) submit to Congress on or before the expiration of the oneyear period beginning on the date of enactment of this Act and every three years thereafter a report (A) containing current in

formation on the health consequences of using alcoholic beverages, and (B) containing such recommendations for legislation and administrative action as he may deem appropriate;

(3) submit such additional reports as may be requested by the President of the United States or by Congress; and

(4) Submit to the President of the United States and to Congress such recommendations as will further the prevention, treatment, and control of alcohol abuse and alcoholism.

INTERAGENCY COMMITTEE ON FEDERAL ACTIVITIES FOR ALCOHOL ABUSE
AND ALCOHOLISM

SEC. 103. [4553] (a) The Secretary shall establish an Interagency Committee on Federal Activities for Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (hereinafter in this section referred to as the "Committee"). The Committee shall (1) evaluate the adequacy and technical soundness of all Federal programs and activities which relate to alcoholism and alcohol abuse and provide for the communication and exchange of information necessary to maintain the coordination and effectiveness of such programs and activities, and (2) seek to coordinate efforts undertaken to deal with alcohol abuse and alcoholism in carrying out Federal health, welfare, rehabilitation, highway safety, law enforcement, and economic opportunity laws.

(b) The Secretary or the Director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (or the Director's designee) shall serve as Chairman of the Committee, the membership of which shall include (1) appropriate scientific, medical, or technical representation from the Department of Transportation, the Department of Justice, the Department of Defense, the Department of the Treasury, the Department of Labor, the Department of Education, the Veterans' Administration, and such other Federal agencies and offices (including appropriate agencies and offices of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare) as the Secretary determines administer programs directly affecting alcoholism and alcohol abuse, and (2) five individuals from the general public appointed by the Secretary from individuals who by virtue of their training or experience are particularly qualified to participate in the performance of the Committee's functions. The Committee shall meet at the call of the Chairman, but not less often than four times a year.

(c) Each appointed member of the Committee shall be appointed for a term of four years, except that

(1) any member appointed to fill a vacancy occurring prior to the expiration of the term for which his predecessor was appointed shall be appointed for the remainder of such term; and

(2) of the members first appointed, two shall be appointed for a term of four years, two shall be appointed for a term of three years, and one shall be appointed for a term of one year, as designated by the Secretary at the time of appointment. Appointed members may serve after the expiration of their terms until their successors have taken office.

(d) Appointed members of the Committee shall receive for each day they are engaged in the performance of the functions of the Committee compensation at rates not to exceed the daily equivalent of the annual rate in effect for grade GS-18 of the General Schedule, including traveltime; and all members, while so serving

away from their homes or regular places of business, may be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, in the same manner as such expenses are authorized by section 5703 of title 5, United States Code, for persons in the Government service employed intermittently.

(e) The Secretary shall make available to the Committee such staff, information, and other assistance as it may require to carry out its activities effectively.