Bill in U.S. House would provide dedicated drug task force funding

Three members of the U.S. House of Representatives from Washington introduced a bill Thursday that would provide a dedicated federal funding source for multijurisdictional drug task forces throughout the country.

The representatives are Rick Larsen, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez and Dan Newhouse.

Larsen represents Skagit, Island, San Juan and Whatcom counties, and part of Snohomish County.

In Washington, drug task force units have depended on state and federal funding for years, namely the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant.

But in 2022 the state Department of Commerce allowed funding from that grant program to be allocated to other drug prevention programs and projects.

This meant that the 16 drug task forces in the state could no longer depend on what had become their most consistent source of funding.

In September, Skagit County Interlocal Drug Enforcement Unit Commander Tobin Meyer said the unit only had enough reserve funds to operate for two years. Without another dedicated source of funding, the unit anticipated that layoffs were coming.

The End Fentanyl Trafficking with Local Task Forces Act, the bill introduced Thursday, would expand the Department of Justice's Anti-Heroin Task Force program and double its available funding.

This would provide funding for multijurisdictional task forces to target opioid trafficking.

"We're excited for the potential this could have on the task forces in the state," Meyer said Tuesday.

He said that Larsen worked with the Skagit County Interlocal Drug Enforcement Unit and other units in the state to better understand the needs of each unit.

Meyer said that multijurisdictional drug task forces play an essential role in going after mid- to upper-level drug trafficking organizations.

After changes to previous funding programs, such as the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant, drug task force units were in a crisis, Meyer said, but he's hopeful that the bill introduced Thursday will be successful.

"I'm always going to be optimistic," he said. "This is important for our state and our country."

The bill would also allow for funds to be used to expand existing multijurisdictional drug task forces and create new units.

In addition to funding multijurisdictional drug task forces, the bill would dedicate funding to Native American tribes to help promote law enforcement goals.

A fact sheet included in a news release from Larsen placed an emphasis on the remote nature of some tribal lands, as well as the lack of federal investment. These factors make tribal lands a target for traffickers.

The dedicated federal funding for multijurisdictional drug task forces and Native American tribes would incentivize partnerships between tribal and nontribal law enforcement, according to the fact sheet.

"We have made progress in the fight against the opioid epidemic in recent years, but there is more work to be done," Larsen said in the news release. "Local, state and tribal law enforcement officers have told me they often lack the funding and resources to stem the flow of opioids harming their communities. This bill invests in and empowers multi-jurisdictional task forces to get more opioids and fentanyl off our streets - a critical investment that will save lives."

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