Clinton Asks States to Adopt Set of Laws Designed to Curb Drugs

The Clinton Administration on Monday urged state governors and legislatures to adopt a package of proposed laws designed to help communities crack down on illicit drug trafficking and improve treatment and rehabilitation for drug offenders.

The 44 proposals, several of which are based on California statutes, were contained in the final report of a presidential commission assigned to study drug laws and recommend changes in them. They were endorsed by Atty. Gen. Janet Reno, who encouraged states to review the findings and adopt the proposals whenever possible.

The commission was established by Congress, and its members were appointed by President George Bush in 1992. Its members--12 Democrats and 11 Republicans--include state legislators, state attorneys general, providers of drug treatment services and specialists in housing, drug-abuse prevention and other areas. The report will be sent to governors and state legislatures in all 50 states.

The commission said that its proposals “do not rely exclusively on punishment and deterrence to ‘solve’ drug problems” but seek to “establish a comprehensive continuum of responses and services, encompassing prevention, education, detection, treatment, rehabilitation and law enforcement.”

The 1,100-page, five-volume report proposes laws to grant civil immunity to citizens who volunteer at anti-drug organizations, protecting them from litigation and personal liability.

In the area of treatment and health care, it would require state Medicaid plans, private health insurance and health maintenance organizations to provide services for the treatment of alcohol and drug abuse, including detoxification and inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation and treatment.

The report proposes statutes that would give to employers who require drug testing for their employees a 5% reduction in workers’ compensation insurance. It also proposes laws to give state and local governments greater authority to uncover money laundering and to conduct electronic surveillance of drug traffickers’ phone calls.

According to the commission, the idea of developing more state laws arose from “growing concern that state governments were addressing the problems of drugs without sufficient comprehensive planning.”

The report was presented to representatives of the National Governors’ Assn. and the National Conference on State Legislatures.