Title 16
Education

Chapter 21.2
The Rhode Island Substance Abuse Prevention Act

R.I. Gen. Laws § 16-21.2-4

§ 16-21.2-4. Substance abuse prevention program.

(a) The department of behavioral healthcare, developmental disabilities and hospitals shall be charged with the administration of this chapter and shall provide grants to assist in the planning, establishment, and operation of substance abuse prevention programs. Grants under this section shall be made to municipal governments or their designated agents according to the following guidelines:

(1) The maximum grant shall be one hundred twenty-five thousand dollars ($125,000); provided, however, in the event that available funding exceeds $1.6 million in a fiscal year, those surplus funds are to be divided proportionately among the cities and towns on a per capita basis but in no event shall the city of Providence exceed a maximum grant cap of $175,000.00.

(2) In order to obtain a grant, the municipality or its designated agent must in the first year:

(i) Demonstrate the municipality’s need for a comprehensive substance abuse program in the areas of prevention and education.

(ii) Demonstrate that the municipality has established by appropriate legislative or executive action, a substance abuse prevention council which shall assist in assessing the needs and resources of the community, developing a three (3) year plan of action addressing the identified needs, the operation and implementation of the overall substance abuse prevention program; coordinating existing services such as law enforcement, prevention, treatment, and education; consisting of representatives of the municipal government, representatives of the school system, parents, and human service providers.

(iii) Demonstrate the municipality’s ability to develop a plan of implementation of a comprehensive three (3) year substance abuse prevention program based on the specific needs of the community to include high risk populations of adolescents, children of substance abusers, and primary education school aged children.

(iv) Agree to conduct a survey/questionnaire of the student population designed to establish the extent of the use and abuse of drugs and alcohol in students throughout the local community’s school population.

(v) Demonstrate that at least twenty percent (20%) of the cost of the proposed program will be contributed either in cash or in-kind by public or private resources within the municipality.

(b) The department of behavioral healthcare, developmental disabilities and hospitals shall adopt rules and regulations necessary and appropriate to carry out the purposes of this section.

History of Section.
P.L. 1987, ch. 375, § 1; P.L. 1992, ch. 67, § 1; P.L. 1992, ch. 418, § 2; P.L. 1995, ch. 370, art. 14, § 8; P.L. 2013, ch. 501, § 33.