§1706. High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Program

(a) Establishment

There is established in the Office a program to be known as the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Program.

(b) Designation

The Director, upon consultation with the Attorney General, the Secretary of the Treasury, heads of the National Drug Control Program agencies, and the Governor of each applicable State, may designate any specified area of the United States as a high intensity drug trafficking area. After making such a designation and in order to provide Federal assistance to the area so designated, the Director may-

(1) obligate such sums as appropriated for the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Program;

(2) direct the temporary reassignment of Federal personnel to such area, subject to the approval of the head of the department or agency that employs such personnel;

(3) take any other action authorized under section 1703 of this title to provide increased Federal assistance to those areas;

(4) coordinate activities under this subsection (specifically administrative, recordkeeping, and funds management activities) with State and local officials.

(c) Factors for consideration

In considering whether to designate an area under this section as a high intensity drug trafficking area, the Director shall consider, in addition to such other criteria as the Director considers to be appropriate, the extent to which-

(1) the area is a center of illegal drug production, manufacturing, importation, or distribution;

(2) State and local law enforcement agencies have committed resources to respond to the drug trafficking problem in the area, thereby indicating a determination to respond aggressively to the problem;

(3) drug-related activities in the area are having a harmful impact in other areas of the country; and

(4) a significant increase in allocation of Federal resources is necessary to respond adequately to drug-related activities in the area.

(d) Use of funds

The Director shall ensure that no Federal funds appropriated for the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Program are expended for the establishment or expansion of drug treatment programs.

( Pub. L. 105–277, div. C, title VII, §707, Oct. 21, 1998, 112 Stat. 2681–686 .)

Repeal of Section

For repeal of section on Sept. 30, 2003, see section 1712 of this title.

Funding for High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Program

Pub. L. 106–58, title III, Sept. 29, 1999, 113 Stat. 448 , provided in part: "That, hereafter, of the amount appropriated for fiscal year 2000 or any succeeding fiscal year for the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Program, the funds to be obligated or expended during such fiscal year for programs addressing the treatment or prevention of drug use as part of the approved strategy for a designated High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) shall not be less than the funds obligated or expended for such programs during fiscal year 1999 for each designated HIDTA without the prior approval of the Committees on Appropriations".