By The FirstSenators Marco Rubio and Joe Manchin introduced new legislation this week that bans the federal government from purchasing “crack pipes” and other devices intentionally used to consume illegal drugs.
The Republican and Democrat released the following statement on the Preventing Illicit Paraphernalia for Exchange Systems (PIPES) Act.
To prohibit the use of Federal funds for local substance use disorder services for the purchase of sterile needles or syringes for the injection of illegal drugs, or to procure, supply, or distribute pipes, cylindrical objects, or other paraphernalia that can be used to smoke, inhale, or ingest narcotics.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
- 1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
- 2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Preventing Illicit Para-
- 3 phernalia for Exchange Systems Act’’ or the ‘‘PIPES
- 4 Act’’.
- 5 SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON CERTAIN USES OF FUNDS.
- 6 Section 2706 of the American Rescue Plan Act of
- 7 2021 (Public Law 117–2) is amended by adding at the
- 8 end the following:
- 9 ‘‘(c) PROHIBITED USES OF FUNDS.—
- 10 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other
- 11 provision of this section, no funds appropriated in
- 12 this section shall be used—
- 13 ‘‘(A) subject to paragraph (2), to purchase
- 14 sterile needles or syringes for the hypodermic
- 15 injection of any illegal drug; or
- 16 ‘‘(B) to procure, supply, or distribute
- 17 pipes, cylindrical objects, or other paraphernalia
- 18 that can be used to smoke, inhale, or ingest
- 19 narcotics.
- 20 ‘‘(2) EXCEPTION.—The limitation under para-
- 21 graph (1)(A) does not apply to the use of funds for
- 22 elements of a program other than making purchases
- 23 described in such paragraph if the relevant State,
- 24 local, territorial, or Tribal health department, in
- 25 consultation with the Centers for Disease Control
- 26 and Prevention.
