Bill Summary
The "Youth Substance Use Prevention and Awareness Act" is a proposed piece of legislation aimed at enhancing efforts to prevent substance use among young people through targeted public service announcement (PSA) campaigns. The Act amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to expand the existing grant program, allowing for the development and implementation of research-based PSA campaigns specifically focused on youth substance use prevention.
Key provisions of the Act include:
1. **Grant Program Expansion**: The Act authorizes the use of grants for creating and promoting various forms of PSAs, including television, radio, print, outdoor, and digital media, as well as contests that encourage youth to produce their own PSAs.
2. **Reporting Requirements**: The Attorney General is mandated to publish an annual report detailing the grants awarded for these campaigns. This report will include information on the campaign's description, the research utilized in its development, any specific messaging strategies, how the campaign aligns with broader substance use prevention initiatives, and an evaluation of its effectiveness in reducing youth drug use rates.
Overall, this legislation aims to leverage educational campaigns to raise awareness and deter substance use among youth, thereby promoting healthier lifestyles and safer communities.
Possible Impacts
Here are three examples of how the "Youth Substance Use Prevention and Awareness Act" could affect people:
1. **Increased Awareness Among Youth**: The legislation promotes public service announcement (PSA) campaigns that are specifically designed for youth, utilizing various media platforms such as television, radio, and digital channels. This could lead to increased awareness and understanding among young people regarding the risks and consequences of substance use, potentially leading to healthier choices and reduced consumption of drugs and alcohol.
2. **Community Engagement and Empowerment**: By incorporating public service announcement contests that solicit youth submissions, the legislation encourages young people to actively participate in the creation of messages that resonate with their peers. This engagement can empower youth to take ownership of the conversation around substance use prevention, fostering a sense of community and shared responsibility in addressing these issues.
3. **Data-Driven Strategies and Accountability**: The requirement for annual reporting by the Attorney General on the effectiveness of the funded campaigns means that there will be an emphasis on data-driven strategies. This accountability can lead to more effective public health initiatives, as successful campaigns can be identified and replicated, while less effective ones can be improved or replaced. Communities will benefit from evidence-based approaches that are tailored to their specific needs, potentially resulting in a decrease in youth substance use rates over time.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6902 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 6902
To promote public service announcement campaigns targeted at youth
substance use prevention, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
December 18, 2025
Mr. Tran (for himself, Mr. Hurd of Colorado, and Ms. Dean of
Pennsylvania) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on the Judiciary
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To promote public service announcement campaigns targeted at youth
substance use prevention, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Youth Substance Use Prevention and
Awareness Act''.
SEC. 2. GRANT USE FOR PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT CAMPAIGNS.
(a) Expansion of Grant Program.--Section 3021(a) of title I of the
Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10701(a))
is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(11) Developing, implementing, or expanding research-
based public service announcement campaign programs targeted at
youth substance use prevention using age-appropriate material,
including--
``(A) television, radio, print, outdoor, and
digital public service announcements; and
``(B) public service announcement contests that
solicit youth public service announcement
submissions.''.
(b) Reporting Requirements.--The Attorney General shall publish an
annual report on any grants awarded for public service announcement
campaigns under paragraph (11) of section 3021(a) of title I of the
Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C.
10701(a)), as added by subsection (a), that includes, which respect to
each such public service announcement campaign--
(1) a description of the grant awarded and the public
service announcement campaign funded by the grant;
(2) the research used to inform and develop the public
service announcement campaign funded by the grant;
(3) any regional or geographic-specific messaging used as
part of the public service announcement campaign;
(4) a description of how the public service announcement
campaign funded by the grant supports the other substance use
prevention initiatives or strategy of the grantee; and
(5) an evaluation of the success of the public service
announcement campaign, such as the effectiveness of the
campaign at reducing the rate of drug use by youth.
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