NHTSA Cooperative Agreement for Drug Evaluation and Classification Program Enhancement

The Mission of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), an operating mode of DOT, is to save lives, prevent injuries and reduce economic costs due to road traffic crashes, through education, research, safety standards and enforcement activity. To accomplish this, NHTSA awards grants and cooperative agreements to state and local governments, not-for-profit organizations, and other entities in support of motor vehicles and road traffic safety initiatives.

The purpose of this Cooperative Agreement (CA or Agreement) is to support the development and evaluation of the Drug Evaluation and Classification (DEC) Program. The purposes and objectives of this project include:

Development: The Recipient will develop and enhance the DEC Program through curricula development, science, toxicology, prosecution, research, law enforcement policies and procedures, including officer safety measures and other appropriate means.

· Training and coordinating with law enforcement officers on drug impaired driving enforcement, which includes but is not limited to the Standardized Field Sobriety (SFST) Program, the Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE) Program and the Drug Evaluation and Classification (DEC) Program, also known as the Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) Program.

· Liaison with State Highway Safety Offices (SHSO’s), DRE State Coordinators, Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutors (TSRP’s) and other prosecutors, Forensic Toxicologists, law enforcement executives and senior leaders, medical experts, researchers and others as appropriate to identify areas that for further development and/or improvement

Demonstration: The Recipient will test and evaluate specific program components with SHSOs, allied organizations, law enforcement, prosecutors, toxicologists and others as it relates to the DEC Program.

Support: The Recipient will develop the DEC Program by convening a panel of subject matter experts in the application of the SFST, ARIDE and DRE Programs.

NHTSA may enter into an assistance agreement with a State or local agency, authority, association, institution, or person to carry out activities authorized by the Highway Safety Act of 1966, P.L. 89-564, as amended (see 23 U.S.C. § 403(b)(2)(C)).  

To be eligible to participate in the Cooperative Agreement, Recipients will meet the following requirements:
• Have an expert staff that understands, in great detail, the application and delivery of the Standardized Field Sobriety Test (SFST) Program, Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE) Program and the Drug Evaluation and Classification (DEC) Program, as it relates to the Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) Program. This would include how the programs are developed, supported and delivered to the states, including those involving instructors related to the aforementioned programs.
• Have personnel who are current, certified DRE/DRE Instructors;
• Have demonstrated experience in coordinating with State Highway Safety Offices (SHSO), Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutors, Forensic Toxicologists and other highway safety advocates and organizations across the nation;
• Have the capacity to provide assistance to highway safety enforcement practitioners during normal work hours;
• Have expertise of Federal, State and Tribal laws as they relate to impaired driving enforcement countermeasures;
• Demonstrate the ability to facilitate consensus and support with national, state, local, and tribal law enforcement organizations.
• Demonstrated ability to develop, deliver, and evaluate educational courses across different platforms, e.g. in-person, virtual, classroom, etc.

Interested applicants are advised that no fee or profit will be allowed.

The Mission of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), an operating mode of DOT, is to save lives, prevent injuries and reduce economic costs due to road traffic crashes, through education, research, safety standards and enforcement activity. To accomplish this, NHTSA awards grants and cooperative agreements to state and local governments, not-for-profit organizations, and other entities in support of motor vehicles and road traffic safety initiatives.

The purpose of this Cooperative Agreement (CA or Agreement) is to support the development and evaluation of the Drug Evaluation and Classification (DEC) Program. The purposes and objectives of this project include:

Development: The Recipient will develop and enhance the DEC Program through curricula development, science, toxicology, prosecution, research, law enforcement policies and procedures, including officer safety measures and other appropriate means.

· Training and coordinating with law enforcement officers on drug impaired driving enforcement, which includes but is not limited to the Standardized Field Sobriety (SFST) Program, the Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE) Program and the Drug Evaluation and Classification (DEC) Program, also known as the Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) Program.

· Liaison with State Highway Safety Offices (SHSO’s), DRE State Coordinators, Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutors (TSRP’s) and other prosecutors, Forensic Toxicologists, law enforcement executives and senior leaders, medical experts, researchers and others as appropriate to identify areas that for further development and/or improvement

Demonstration: The Recipient will test and evaluate specific program components with SHSOs, allied organizations, law enforcement, prosecutors, toxicologists and others as it relates to the DEC Program.

Support: The Recipient will develop the DEC Program by convening a panel of subject matter experts in the application of the SFST, ARIDE and DRE Programs.

NHTSA may enter into an assistance agreement with a State or local agency, authority, association, institution, or person to carry out activities authorized by the Highway Safety Act of 1966, P.L. 89-564, as amended (see 23 U.S.C. § 403(b)(2)(C)).