IV. Significant Program Changes and Realignments
In addition to the initiatives already highlighted, the 2007 Budget proposes several significant program changes or realignments to the national drug control program. Among the more consequential of these changes are those to the Safe and Drug-Free Schools program, the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program, and the Counterdrug Technology Assessment Center .
Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities (SDFSC)
The President's FY 2007 Budget proposes to terminate funding for SDFSC State Grants, given the program's inability to demonstrate effectiveness and because grant funds are spread too thinly to support high-quality interventions. Instead, the request includes significant increases for SDFSC National Programs activities that provide direct support to local educational agencies, in sufficient amounts to make a real difference. The Department of Education's SDFSC National Program proposal will support drug prevention and school safety projects that are structured in a manner that permits grantees and independent evaluators to measure progress, hold projects accountable, and determine which interventions are most effective.
High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA)
For 2007, the Budget proposes transferring the High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program, operated by the Office of National Drug Control Policy, to the Department of Justice, to ensure better coordination with the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) and the Department's many drug enforcement efforts. DOJ's management and oversight of the program will ensure that we are fully utilizing all resources and programs to their fullest potential to achieve our common goal of market disruption for illegal drugs; while at the same time preserving the program's worthy elements such as intelligence sharing and fostering multi-agency and multi-jurisdictional law enforcement coordination among Federal, state, and local agencies and officials.
DOJ will make certain the HIDTA program plays a key role in our Nation's drug enforcement efforts, particularly those involving coordination with state and local departments, in a manner that complements the activities of other existing programs, like OCDETF, and of individual agencies, involved in drug enforcement. The 2007 Budget proposes $207.6 million for HIDTA as a separate activity within DOJ.
Counterdrug Technology Assessment Center (CTAC)
In 2007, the President's Budget proposes a significant restructuring of ONDCP's CTAC program. In 2006, CTAC was funded at $29.7 million—$15.8 million for the Technology Transfer Program (TTP) and $13.9 million for research. In 2007, the TTP program would be eliminated, although research funding would continue at $9.6 million.
