HOUSE PASSES METH BILL

DES MOINES - A bill providing $3.3 million for methamphetamine enforcement,
prevention, education and treatment passed the Iowa House on a 92-0 vote
Monday.

The measure had already passed the Iowa Senate and now will go to Gov. Tom
Vilsack for his signature. It is half of the bipartisan methamphetamine
agreement between Vilsack and Iowa lawmakers. The other half, a bill which
toughens penalties for drug crimes, has already passed the Iowa House and
should come up for debate this week in the Senate.

The meth appropriation bill funds a variety of programs in five areas:
Justice, Human Services, Health and Human Rights, Administration and Education.

In the Iowa Department of Public Safety, the bill adds six narcotics
enforcement agents, two full-time lab techs who were previously funded with
federal money and a 13-member meth strike force that includes narotics
agents, a fire marshal special agent, five state patrol offiers, one DCI
investigator and one tech support person from the Division of Narcotics
Enforcement.

An additional $100,000 is appropriated for a youth leadership model program
for at-risk youth in the Department of Corrections. The program was
initiated in the 6th Judicial District where at-risk teen-age males are
matched with athletes from the University of Iowa.

The measure continues expanding the drug courts into additional districts,
including Sioux City and Council Bluffs, through the Iowa Department of
Corrections. Federal funds will be available for the first year and will be
matched with state money to expand existing drug courts into western Iowa.

In the Department of Public Health, $1.5 million will be appropriated for
additional methamphetamine treatment programs. Several other drug
prevention and mentoring programs also will be funded.

The Department of Public Health also is required to include a
methamphetamine program component in the nutrition and health-related
education services under the Women, Infants and Children supplemental food
program.

Additional funding is provided to expand the substance abuse and sexual
abuse treatment programs at the Eldora Training School to provide treatment
to all of those who need it.

The bill creates a labor management substance abuse educational program in
the Iowa Department of Personnel with $30,000 from the Health Insurance
Surplus Account.

The program also provides funding to the Iowa State University
Strengthening Families Program for families with children ages 10 to 14 to
help prevent drug use. It will also take advantage of federal funds
available through the General Services Administration. Additional programs
also would seek to discourage drug use.