PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Congressional Research Service
Version 36 · Passed House amended · Sep 16, 1998
TABLE OF CONTENTS: Title I: Targeted Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Programs Subtitle A: National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign Subtitle B: Drug-Free Workplace Act Subtitle C: Drug-Free Teen Drivers Subtitle D: Drug-Free Prisons and Jails Subtitle E: Drug-Free Schools Quality Assurance Subtitle F: Drug-Free National Clearinghouse Subtitle G: Drug-Free Parents Empowerment Title II: Private Sector Anti-Drug Partnerships Subtitle A: Antiaddiction Medications Subtitle B: Commission on Role of Medication Education in Reducing Substance Abuse Title III: Statement of National Antidrug Policy Subtitle A: Congressional Leadership in Community Coalitions Subtitle B: Rejection of Legalization of Drugs Subtitle C: Report on Streamlining Federal Prevention and Treatment Efforts Drug Demand Reduction Act - Title I: Targeted Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Programs - Subtitle A: National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign - Drug-Free Media Campaign Act of 1998 - Requires the Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy to: (1) conduct a national media campaign for the purpose of reducing and preventing drug abuse among young people in the United States; and (2) use appropriated funds for media that focuses on, or that includes specific information on, prevention or treatment resources for consumers within specific local areas. (Sec. 103) Sets forth provisions regarding: (1) authorized and prohibited uses of funds; and (2) matching and reporting requirements. (Sec. 105) Authorizes appropriations. Subtitle B: Drug-Free Workplace Act - Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1998 - Expresses the sense of the Congress that: (1) businesses should adopt drug-free workplace programs; and (2) States should consider financial incentives, such as reductions in workers' compensation premiums, to encourage businesses to adopt drug-free workplace programs. (Sec. 114) Amends the Small Business Act to establish a drug-free workplace demonstration program, under which the Small Business Administration may make grants to eligible intermediaries for the purpose of providing financial and technical assistance to small business concerns seeking to start a drug-free workplace program. Sets forth provisions regarding eligibility for participation and program requirements, including requirements for: (1) employee drug testing by a laboratory certified by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration or the College of American Pathologists, with each positive test result reviewed by a Licensed Medical Review Officer; and (2) employee access to an employee assistance program, including treatment. Authorizes appropriations. (Sec. 115) Amends the Act to require the services to be provided by small business development centers to include providing information and assistance to small business concerns with respect to developing drug-free workplace programs. (Sec. 116) Authorizes the Small Business Administrator to contract with and compensate Government and private agencies or persons for services related to carrying out this subtitle. Subtitle C: Drug-Free Teen Drivers - Drug-Free Teenage Drivers Act - Directs the Secretary of Transportation to establish a model program to provide for the voluntary drug testing of all teenage applicants for a driver's license and, if a State adopting the program so elects, other first time applicants regardless of age. Sets forth minimum program requirements, including: (1) that information about an applicant's choice not to take a drug test or about the result of a test on the applicant be made available to the applicant's automobile insurance company, if any, or the parent of a teenage applicant, or both; and (2) if an applicant tests positive, that the State will not issue a license to the applicant and will require the applicant to complete a State-approved drug treatment program and not test positive in a drug test before reapplying for a license. Authorizes the States to adopt and implement the model program and, if they do so, to provide treatment to low-income individuals who apply for licenses. (Sec. 123) Requires the Secretary to establish an incentive grant program to assist States in improving their laws relating to controlled substances and driving. Sets forth grant requirements, including provisions regarding the use of grant funds and a formula for determining grant amounts. (Sec. 124) Directs the Secretary to provide specified technical assistance. (Sec. 125) Authorizes appropriations. Subtitle D: Drug-Free Prisons and Jails - Drug-Free Prisons and Jails Act of 1998 - Requires the Director of the Bureau of Justice Assistance to establish a model substance abuse treatment program for substance-involved offenders by providing financial assistance to grant recipients and evaluating the success of programs conducted pursuant to this subtitle. Limits grant awards and administrative costs. (Sec. 134) Sets forth requirements for grant applications, review and approval of awards, permissible uses of funds, and evaluation and reporting requirements. Requires the Director to establish minimum criteria for program evaluation. (Sec. 138) Authorizes appropriations from the Violent Crime Reduction Trust Fund. Subtitle E: Drug-Free Schools Quality Assurance - Drug-Free Schools Quality Assurance Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to require the chief executive officer of each State or other entity designated to be responsible for education activities to: (1) establish a standard of quality for drug prevention programs implemented in public schools in the State in accordance with specified criteria (including a comparison of the rate of illegal use of alcohol, tobacco, and drugs by students enrolled over a specified period, the rate of suspensions or expulsions, program effectiveness, parental and community involvement, and the extent of review of existing community drug prevention programs before implementation); and (2) identify and designate (upon application by a school) any public school that achieves such standard as a quality program school. Sets forth provisions regarding requests for a quality program designation and public notification. Subtitle F: Drug-Free National Clearinghouse - Drug-Free National Clearinghouse Act of 1998 - Establishes in the Office the Drug-Free National Clearinghouse, which shall: (1) consolidate and assume the drug prevention and drug treatment information clearinghouse roles currently performed by National Drug Control Program agencies; and (2) ensure that such information is effectively disseminated. (Sec. 163) Requires that the Clearinghouse be headed by a director to be appointed by the Director of the Office. Sets forth the director's duties. (Sec. 164) Requires each National Drug Control Program agency to cooperate with the Clearinghouse director. Subtitle G: Drug-Free Parents Empowerment - Drug-Free Parents Empowerment Act - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants to support the efforts of parent organizations to develop and promote efforts to reduce illegal drug use among children in their communities. Sets forth requirements for parent organizations to receive grants, application procedures, and a grant amount limitation. Authorizes appropriations. Title II: Private Sector Anti-Drug Partnerships - Subtitle A: Antiaddiction Medications - Antiaddiction Medication Development Act - Requires the Commissioner of Food and Drugs and the Attorney General of the United States to provide to the Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) a response to specified requests to facilitate the approval for commercial distribution of antiaddiction drugs developed by NIDA. Sets forth provisions regarding the submission of, and responses to, such requests. (Sec. 203) Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct a study to determine whether there is a need to establish particularized incentives for the development of drugs to treat dependence on alcohol or on any controlled substance (qualifying antiaddiction drugs). Sets forth requirements regarding Federal agency collaboration, study elements, and reporting requirements. Subtitle B: Commission on Role of Medication Education in Reducing Substance Abuse - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish the National Commission on the Role of Medical Education in Reducing Substance Abuse, which shall conduct a study to determine the manner in which programs of initial and continuing medical education can be modified to improve the efforts of health professionals in preventing, diagnosing, and treating substance abuse cases. Sets forth reporting requirements. Authorizes appropriations. Title III: Statement of National Antidrug Policy - Subtitle A: Congressional Leadership in Community Coalitions - Expresses the sense of the Congress that the individual Members of the House of Representatives should establish community-based anti-drug coalitions in their congressional districts or should actively support such coalitions that already exist. Subtitle B: Rejection of Legalization of Drugs - Expresses the sense of the Congress that: (1) the States and their citizens should reject drug legalization; and (2) every State should make efforts to be drug-free. Subtitle C: Report on Streamlining Federal Prevention and Treatment Efforts - Expresses the sense of the Congress that: (1) Federal Government efforts to reduce the demand for illegal drugs in the United States are frustrated by the fragmentation of those efforts across multiple departments and agencies; and (2) improvement of those efforts can best be achieved through consolidation and coordination. Requires the Director of National Drug Control Policy to prepare and submit to specified congressional committees a report evaluating options for increasing the efficacy of Federal drug prevention and treatment programs and activities. Authorizes appropriations.
People & committees
Rep. Portman, Rob [R-OH-2] · R–OH
Legislative record
A procedural vote is different from passage. Passage in one chamber does not establish enactment. Explore the glossary.
See H.R.4328.
Received in the Senate.
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
The Clerk was authorized to correct section numbers, punctuation, and cross references, and to make other necessary technical and conforming corrections in the engrossment of H.R. 4550.
On passage Passed by recorded vote: 396 - 9 (Roll No. 444).
House roll call 444 · Individual votesPassed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by recorded vote: 396 - 9 (Roll No. 444).
House roll call 444 · Individual votesThe House adopted the remaining amendments en gross as agreed to by the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union.
The previous question was ordered pursuant to the rule.
The House rose from the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union to report H.R. 4550.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS - The Chair announced that the unfinished business of the Committee was the postponed recorded vote on the Taylor of Mississippi amendment debated earlier.
POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the completion of debate the Chair put the question on agreeing to the amendment by voice vote and announced that that ayes had prevailed. Mr. Barrett of Wisconsin demanded a recorded vote pending the absence of a quorum. Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 538, the Chair postponed further proceedings on the amendment and the point of no quorum was considered as withdrawn.
GENERAL DEBATE - The Committee of the Whole proceeded with one hour of general debate.
The Speaker designated the Honorable Scott McInnis to act as Chairman of the Committee.
House resolved itself into the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union pursuant to H. Res. 538 and Rule XXIII.
Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 4550 with 1 hour of general debate. Previous question shall be considered as ordered without intervening motions except motion to recommit with or without instructions. After general debate the bill shall be considered for amendment under the five-minute rule for a period not to exceed three hours. Before consideration of any other amendment it shall be in order to consider the amendment printed in House Report 105-721, the report of the Committee on Rule accompanying the resolution if offered by a Member designated in the report. After disposition of the amendment, the provisions of the bill as then perfected shall be considered as original test for futher amendment under the five-minute rule. Measure will be considered read. Bill is open to amendments. The Chairman of the Committee of the Whole may accord priority in recognition on the basis of whethe...
Considered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 538. (consideration: CR H7863-7888)
Rule H. Res. 538 passed House.
Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 538 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 4550 with 1 hour of general debate. Previous question shall be considered as ordered without intervening motions except motion to recommit with or without instructions. After general debate the bill shall be considered for amendment under the five-minute rule for a period not to exceed three hours. Before consideration of any other amendment it shall be in order to consider the amendment printed in House Report 105-721, the report of the Committee on Rules accompanying the resolution if offered by a Member designated in the report. After disposition of the amendment, the provisions of the bill as then perfected shall be considered as original test for futher amendment under the five-minute rule. Measure will be considered read. Bill is open to amendments. The Chairman of the Committee of the Whole may accord priority in recognition on the basis of whethe...
Referred to the Subcommittee on National Security, International Affairs and Criminal Justice.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime.
Referred to House Education and the Workforce
Referred to House Judiciary
Referred to House Transportation and Infrastructure
Referred to House Small Business
Referred to House Government Reform
Referred to the Committee on Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Government Reform and Oversight, Small Business, Transportation and Infrastructure, the Judiciary, and Education and the Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to House Commerce
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
Text links open the official source. We currently store references to these documents.
Source last updated: Jul 21, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
AI Conversation Starters
Choose a perspective, copy a prompt, and paste it into your preferred AI. Each prompt includes the bill version and available official source links, and asks for counterarguments as well as supporting evidence.
Analyze H.R.4550 as objectively as possible. Explain its main provisions, who would be affected, possible benefits and harms, implementation, exceptions, and uncertainties. Present the strongest arguments for and against it, and identify evidence needed to assess its public impact.
Examine H.R.4550 through a progressive lens, focusing on fairness, access, economic inequality, and effects on vulnerable communities. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and distinguish stated goals from demonstrated outcomes.
Examine H.R.4550 through a conservative lens, focusing on fiscal responsibility, institutional stability, federalism, and the scope of government. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and any provisions that challenge this perspective.
Examine H.R.4550 through a civil-liberties and limited-government lens. Consider individual rights, privacy, voluntary choice, accountability, and government power. Explain tradeoffs, possible safeguards, and the strongest counterarguments without assuming the proposal is beneficial or harmful.