Evidence-Based Drug Policy Act of 2025
Summary
What This Bill Does
The Evidence-Based Drug Policy Act of 2025 is a narrow repeal bill. It repeals section 704(b)(12) of the Office of National Drug Control Policy Reauthorization Act of 1998, codified at 21 U.S.C. 1703(b)(12). That provision has been understood as a federal drug-control policy constraint tied to opposition to legalization of schedule I controlled substances. By repealing it, the bill removes a statutory barrier that can discourage ONDCP and related federal drug-policy officials from studying, discussing, or supporting policy options based on evidence rather than a preset anti-legalization position. The bill does not itself legalize or reschedule any drug; it changes the scope of ONDCP's statutory responsibilities.
Who Benefits and How
Drug policy researchers benefit because federal drug-control policy can be evaluated with fewer statutory constraints on evidence-based analysis. Public health officials benefit if ONDCP can consider harm-reduction, treatment, scheduling, or legalization evidence without the repealed mandate. Congressional oversight committees benefit from clearer separation between research evidence and preset drug-control policy positions. States experimenting with drug policy benefit indirectly if federal officials can review outcomes without a statutory anti-legalization constraint.
Who Bears the Burden and How
ONDCP must adjust its statutory responsibility framework after repeal of section 704(b)(12). Federal drug-control officials may face more pressure to justify policy positions with evidence rather than a categorical statutory instruction. Anti-legalization advocates lose a federal statutory hook for insisting ONDCP oppose legalization-related policy work. Federal agencies coordinating with ONDCP may need to update references to 21 U.S.C. 1703(b)(12).
Key Provisions
- Repeals section 704(b)(12) of the ONDCP Reauthorization Act of 1998.
- Removes the corresponding provision from 21 U.S.C. 1703(b)(12).
- Modifies ONDCP responsibilities without legalizing, rescheduling, or decriminalizing any controlled substance.
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Repeals a statutory Office of National Drug Control Policy provision that constrained federal drug-policy work, clearing room for more evidence-based analysis of controlled-substance policy.
Key Policy Areas
Drug Policy, Research, Federal Administration
Primary Purpose
Repeals a statutory Office of National Drug Control Policy provision that constrained federal drug-policy work, clearing room for more evidence-based analysis of controlled-substance policy.
Policy Domains
Resolution provisions
Identified Gains
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- Drug policy researchers
- Public health officials
- Congressional oversight committees
- States experimenting with drug policy
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Identified Costs
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- ONDCP
- Federal drug-control officials
- Anti-legalization advocates
- Federal agencies coordinating with ONDCP
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
In CommitteeMs. Titus (for herself and Ms. Omar) introduced the following …
Referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and …
Introduced in House
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology