# Drug-Impaired Driving Education Act of 2021

This bill creates a federal grant program that gives money to states to run public education campaigns about the dangers of driving under the influence of drugs. The federal government would set aside $10 million per year for two years to fund these educational efforts. States would apply for these grants and then use the money to teach people about how drugs like marijuana, opioids, cocaine, and other substances impair driving ability and increase crash risk.

The states that receive grants can either run the education programs themselves or pass the money along to other organizations to do the work. This could include local government agencies, nonprofits, law enforcement, prosecutors' offices, or tribal governments. The key requirement is that whatever education programs they create must be based on solid scientific evidence—specifically, they should use strategies recommended by federal highway safety experts or other peer-reviewed research that's proven to work.

After receiving a grant, states have two years to show the federal government whether their education programs actually made a difference in reducing drug-impaired driving in their communities. This accountability measure helps ensure the money is being spent effectively. For most people, this bill would mainly affect them indirectly through increased public awareness campaigns about drug-impaired driving in their state, similar to existing drunk driving prevention ads. The bill doesn't create any new laws or penalties—it simply funds education and awareness efforts to help people understand the risks of driving after using drugs.

Drug-Impaired Driving Education Act of 2021

Rice, Kathleen M.

Drug-Impaired Driving Education Act of 2021 This bill requires the Department of Transportation to provide competitive grants to states to educate the public on the dangers of drug-impaired driving. A state may use the grant to provide funds to local government agencies, Indian tribal governments, and nonprofit organizations in such state that will educate the public on the dangers of drug-impaired driving. A state that receives a grant or an entity using funds provided by a state must use certain evidence and strategies to educate the public, including those recommended by the Congressional Research Service in the publication titled Marijuana Use and Highway Safety, published on May 14, 2019.