HR 172119th CongressIn Committee

Defund Heroin Injection Centers Act of 2025

Introduced: Jan 3, 2025

Sponsor: Rep. Malliotakis, Nicole [R-NY-11] (R-New York)

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

The Defund Heroin Injection Centers Act of 2025 would prohibit the federal government from providing any funds to a state, local, tribal, or private entity that operates or controls an injection center in violation of the Crack House Statute (section 416 of the Controlled Substances Act, 21 U.S.C. 856). In plain terms, if a given injection site is considered to be operating unlawfully under the federal law that criminalizes maintaining a place for the use or distribution of illegal drugs, that entity would be barred from receiving federal funding. Introduced by Representative Malliotakis in the 119th Congress, the bill is a funding-withholding measure rather than an outright ban on injection centers. It would apply to any entity—government or private—that runs such a center and is found to be in violation of the statute. The bill focuses on federal funding as the lever to deter or shut down injection centers that fail to comply with the Crack House Statute. It does not create new criminal penalties for injection centers themselves, but it would make federal money contingent on compliance with the statute. Because the statute is framed as a prohibition on maintaining facilities for illegal drug use, the bill could affect jurisdictions considering or operating supervised injection facilities as part of their public health strategy.

Key Points

1Prohibits federal funds for any state, local, tribal, or private entity that operates or controls an injection center in violation of section 416 of the Controlled Substances Act (the Crack House Statute).
2Applies broadly to any entity that runs or oversees an injection center, including governments and private organizations (not just public agencies).
3Uses withholding of federal funds as the enforcement mechanism; no specific alternative funding or grant restoration structure is provided in the text.
4Relies on a determination of “violation” of the Crack House Statute to determine eligibility for federal funds, which could require legal or enforcement processes to establish.
5Introduced in the 119th Congress by Representative Malliotakis and referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform; status is introduced.

Impact Areas

Primary group/area affected: States, counties, cities, tribal governments, and private organizations that operate or control injection centers, and are recipients of federal funding (grants, contracts, loans).Secondary group/area affected: Public health and harm-reduction programs, law enforcement agencies involved in the funding or operation of such centers, and agencies that administer federal health and social service grants (e.g., HHS, SAMHSA, DOJ grant programs).Additional impacts:- Could hinder or impede local or tribal harm-reduction strategies that rely on injection centers as a public health tool.- May shift funding emphasis toward non-injection-centered approaches to overdose prevention, addiction treatment, and public health, or toward enforcement-based strategies.- Potential concerns about due process or clarity in what constitutes a violation of the Crack House Statute, which could affect program design, operations, and legal review for funded centers.The Crack House Statute (21 U.S.C. 856) generally criminalizes maintaining or using a place for illicit drug use or for illicit manufacturing/distribution, often described in the context of “crack houses.” The bill ties federal funding eligibility to compliance with this statute, rather than creating new criminal penalties.While labeled “Defund Heroin Injection Centers Act,” the measure targets funding eligibility rather than outright banning injection centers; actual effect depends on how federal agencies determine and adjudicate violations of the Crack House Statute and apply withholding of funds.

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