NIH 1998 Almanac/The Organization/NIDA/
National Institute on Drug Abuse: NIDA Legislative Chronology
1966--P.L. 89-793, the Narcotic Rehabilitation Act, provide for increased Federal
effors in the rehabilitation and treatment of narcotic addicts (limited to opiate
abusers).
1970--P.L. 91-513, the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act,
replaced the PHS act's definition of "narcotic addict" with a definition of
"drug dependent person" to authorize treatment for both narcotic addicts and
other persons with drug abuse problems.
1972--P.L. 92-255, the Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act, created a Special
Action Office for Drug Abuse Prevention (SOADAP) and authorized a separate organizational
entity--NIDA--within the Department to become operational in 1974. In cooperation with
other Federal agencies, especially NIMH’s Division of Narcotic Addiction and Drug
Abuse, SAODAP established a national network of multi-modality drug abuse treatment
programs.
1974--P.L. 93-282, created ADAMHA which was charged with supervising the functions
of NIMH, NIDA, and NIAAA.
Programs and responsibilities of DNADA and SAODAP were moved to NIDA.
1979--P.L. 96-181, the Drug Abuse Prevention, Rehabilitation, and Treatment Act,
mandated that at least 7 percent in FY 1980 and 10 percent in FY 1881 of NIDA’s
Community Programs budget be spent on prevention.
1982--P.L. 97-35, the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, combined NIDA’s
community programs project grants and contracts and formula grants within an ADM block
grant giving more control of treatment and prevention services to the states.
1986--P.L. 100-690, the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986, increased the block grant,
created a substance abuse treatment enhancement to the block grant, and provided increased
funds for AIDS research.
Executive Order 12564 called for the implementation of a drug-free workplace. As a
result of this action, NIDA created the Office of Workplace Initiatives.
1987--P.L. 100-71, Supplemental Appropriations Act of 1987, required DHHS (NIDA) to
publish guidelines in the Federal Register for Federal drug testing.
1988--P.L. 100-690, the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988, established the Office of
National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) authorized funds for Federal, state and local law
enforcement school-based drug prevention efforts and drug abuse treatment with special
emphasis on injecting drug abusers at high risk for AIDS.
1988 and 1990--P.L. 101-166 and P.L. 101-517, the Departments of Labor, HHS,
and Eduation Appropriations Act for FY 1990 and 1991, contained identical prohibitions
precluding the use of funds provided under these enactments to carry out any program of
distributing sterile needles.
1992--P.L. 102-321, the ADAMHA Reorganization Act, transferred NIDA to NIH,
earmarks 15 percent of the institute’s research appropriation for health services
research, establishes a Medication Development Program within NIDA, provides authority to
designate Drug Abuse Research Centers for the purpose of interdisciplinary research
relating to drug abuse and other biomedical, behavioral, and social issues related to drug
abuse, and creates an Office on AIDS at NIDA
P.L. 102-394, the Departments of Labor, HHS, and Education FY 1993 Appropriations
Act, provided that $2 million to carry out section 706 of P.L. 102-321, which required the
DHHS Secretary, acting through the director, NIDA, to request that the NAS study U.S.
programs that provide both sterile hypodermic needles and bleach. The act also prohibited
the use of appropriated funds for any sterile needle distribution program.
1993--P.L. 103-112, the Labor/HHS and Education FY 1994 Appropriations Act,
prohibited the use of funds under the act for 1) any further implementation of section 706
of P.L. 102-321, which required the NAS to study U.S. programs that provide both sterile
hypodermic needles and bleach, and 2) any program for distributing sterile needles.
P.L. 103-43, the NIH Revitilization Act of 1993, required NIDA to conduct a study on
the relationship between the consumption of legal and illegal drugs.
1994, 1995 and 1996--P.L. 103-333, the Departments of Labor, HHS and
Education Appropriations Act for FY 1995; P.L. 104-134, the Omnibus Consolidated
Rescissions and Appropriations Act for FY 1996; P.L. 104-208, the Omnibus Consolidated
Appro-priations Act for FY 1997--each prohibited use of any funds provided in the
enactments to carry out any program of distributing sterile needles.
