House passes drug policy bill
Yesterday, the House of Representatives passed the "Western Hemisphere Drug Policy Commission Act of 2009" (H.R. 2134) by voice vote. This bill, first introduced by Congressman Eliot Engel (D-NY) at the end of April 2009, would create "an independent commission to evaluate U.S. policies and programs aimed at reducing illicit drug supply and demand in the Western Hemisphere," according to a press release from Rep. Engel's office.
The version of the bill that passed yesterday was only slightly different from the original text, and the overall responsibilities of the Commission remain the same. If passed by the Senate, the 10-member Commission will "conduct a comprehensive review of United States policy regarding illicit drug supply reduction, interdiction, and demand reduction policies." Within 12 months after its first meeting, the Commission must submit a report, which will be made available to the public, that "contains a detailed statement of the recommendations, findings, and conclusions of the Commission."
In May, we wrote a blog entry in which we compared the House's Western Hemisphere Drug Policy Commission Act to the Senate's "National Criminal Justice Commission Act of 2009." The Senate's bill, which is more domestically-focused, is up for consideration in the Senate Judiciary Committee first thing tomorrow morning.
Whether one of these bills, or a combination of the two, will become law is still subject to multiple votes and possible revisions in both the House and the Senate. The Western Hemisphere Drug Policy Commission Act is now headed to the Senate and it is unclear whether it will gain sufficient support for passage. Some analysts suggest that because the bill was treated as uncontroversial legislation and put up to a voice vote in the House, it could enjoy similar treatment in the Senate and pass easily.