This bill would amend the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to establish an overdose data collection program as part of the Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Grant Program. The program would be implemented by States, units of local government, coalitions of law enforcement agencies, or Indian tribes through development of data collection tools—including mobile data mapping apps—to track locations of suspected overdoses and the administration of opioid reversal medication by first responders in near real-time.
It also expands eligibility for coalitions of law enforcement to receive grants specifically to implement this program and requires interoperability with existing data tools, audits to avoid duplication, and consultation with key federal agencies. The goal is to improve coordinated public safety and public health responses through better, near-real-time data sharing.
At a Glance
What It Does
The Act adds an overdose data collection program described in subsection (g)(1) to the Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Grant Program. It requires development and implementation of data collection tools (including mobile mappings) to track overdoses and reversal-medication administration by first responders, with interoperability to existing systems.
Who It Affects
Eligible recipients include States, units of local government, coalitions of law enforcement agencies, and Indian tribes. First responders, public health and safety officials, and federal data-keeping agencies will use and access the data.
Why It Matters
It creates a structured, interoperable data flow across jurisdictions to target interventions, monitor trends, and coordinate responses in near real-time, potentially improving outcomes for overdose victims and communities.
More articles like this one.
A weekly email with all the latest developments on this topic.
What This Bill Actually Does
The core change is the creation of an overdose data collection program under the grant framework for opioid abuse. A state, local government, coalition of law enforcement agencies, or an Indian tribe would develop and implement a data tool—designed to map and track suspected overdoses and the administration of opioid reversal medications by first responders—using web-based and mobile platforms.
The program must be interoperable with existing overdose data tools and make information available to federal, state, tribal, and territorial governments as well as coalitions of law enforcement agencies. The bill also extends grant eligibility specifically to coalitions of law enforcement for this purpose and sets requirements to support integrated public safety, behavioral health, and public health responses, focus on high-need areas, and avoid duplicative data collection through audits.
The Attorney General would oversee consultation with agencies maintaining overdose data tools to ensure alignment with national data strategies. In short, the bill aims to institutionalize near real-time overdose data sharing to improve targeted interventions and emergency responses while putting guardrails around governance and interoperability.
The Five Things You Need to Know
The bill adds a new overdose data collection program to the grant program (Section 3021(g)(1)).
Coalitions of law enforcement agencies become grant-eligible specifically to implement the overdose data collection program.
The program requires interoperability with existing overdose data tools and broad data sharing with federal, state, tribal, and territorial bodies.
Audits of available data and resources must accompany grant applications to avoid duplication.
The Attorney General must consult with heads of agencies maintaining overdose data tools, including the ONDCP Director, in implementing the program.
Section-by-Section Breakdown
Every bill we cover gets an analysis of its key sections.
Purpose and scope of the Act
The Act states its purpose as expanding adoption and interoperability of data collection tools to track fatal and nonfatal overdoses and opioid overdose reversal medication administration in near real-time through a web-based, mobile-friendly platform. This sets the frame for introducing the new data collection program within the existing grant structure and signals an emphasis on cross-agency coordination and real-time information sharing.
Overdose data collection program—definition and aims
This subsection defines the overdose data collection program as one undertaken by a State, unit of local government, coalition of law enforcement agencies, or Indian tribe. The program must develop and implement a data collection tool—potentially including mobile data mapping—that tracks locations of suspected overdoses and the administration of opioid reversal medications by first responders. The aim is to enable rapid, location-based insights to guide response and resource allocation.
Eligibility of coalitions
Coalitions of law enforcement agencies may be eligible to receive a grant under subsection (a) solely for implementing the overdose data collection program described in paragraph (1). These coalitions must meet the same requirements and authorization standards as other grant recipients, including the possibility of applying under section 3022. This provision broadens grant accessibility to multi-agency collaborations responsible for field data collection and response coordination.
Program requirements for implementers
Entities implementing the overdose data collection program must support coordinated public safety, behavioral health, and public health responses to the collected data; focus on areas with fatal and nonfatal overdoses and trends of concern; ensure interoperability with existing data collection tools; and make program data available to Federal, state, tribal, and territorial governments as well as coalitions of law enforcement agencies. The emphasis is on practical governance and cross-jurisdictional usefulness.
Audit and application
Applicants seeking to use a grant for the overdose data collection program must audit available data and resources and must include that audit in their grant application to avoid duplication. This creates a governance check to ensure resources are used efficiently and that data collection efforts complement existing systems rather than duplicate them.
Consultation with data-keeping agencies
In implementing this subsection, the Attorney General must consult with the heads of agencies that maintain overdose data collection tools, including the Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy. This ensures alignment with national data strategies and leverages existing expertise in overdose data management.
This bill is one of many.
Codify tracks hundreds of bills on Healthcare across all five countries.
Explore Healthcare in Codify Search →Who Benefits and Who Bears the Cost
Every bill creates winners and losers. Here's who stands to gain and who bears the cost.
Who Benefits
- State and local public health authorities gain richer, near real-time overdose data to target interventions and allocate resources more efficiently.
- Coalitions of law enforcement agencies gain access to focused grant support to build data collection capabilities that span multiple jurisdictions, improving situational awareness for operations.
- Indian tribes that maintain or coordinate overdose data tools can access grant funding and interoperability benefits to support tribal health and safety initiatives.
- First responders (police, fire, EMS) benefit from more accurate, timely data to direct response efforts and resource deployment.
- Federal, state, and tribal agencies gain standardized data sharing that supports nationwide public health and safety analyses.
Who Bears the Cost
- States, units of local government, coalitions, and Indian tribes must implement and maintain the overdose data collection program, incurring development, interoperability, and maintenance costs.
- Coalitions must meet eligibility and compliance requirements, including audits and reporting, which impose administrative and oversight costs.
- Local jurisdictions may need to invest in compatible IT infrastructure, data governance, and staff training to achieve near real-time data interoperability.
- Taxpayers bear the broader fiscal cost of grant programs and potential ongoing maintenance of interoperable data systems.
- Some law enforcement agencies may face additional compliance burdens and privacy governance associated with new data collection mandates.
Key Issues
The Core Tension
Balancing the public health and safety benefits of real-time, interoperable overdose data with legitimate concerns about privacy, civil liberties, and the potential for mission creep, while ensuring governance, funding, and technical feasibility across many jurisdictions.
The bill introduces a potentially broad data-collection mandate across multiple jurisdictions and agencies, which raises questions about privacy, data governance, and the risk of unintended surveillance. While the focus is on overdose locations and reversal-medication administration, the data’s granularity could intersect with sensitive health and behavior information.
Ensuring robust data governance, minimization, and access controls will be critical to prevent misuse or overreach. The interoperability requirement—though beneficial for public health and safety—could create complexity and cost for jurisdictions with legacy systems or divergent data standards.
The audit requirement helps mitigate duplication but also adds administrative overhead and ongoing reporting obligations. There is also a question of funding continuity and the availability of expertise to sustain near real-time data tools across diverse jurisdictions.
Try it yourself.
Ask a question in plain English, or pick a topic below. Results in seconds.