Model Acts | MODEL ACTS 2021

Opportunity Information: Apply for MODEL ACTS 2021

The Model Acts grant opportunity is a discretionary federal funding program run by the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to support a single nonprofit organization in helping states strengthen and modernize their laws and policies related to illicit drugs. The program is grounded in federal statute (21 U.S.C. 1703(i)), which authorizes ONDCP to partner with a nonprofit to advise states on establishing drug-related laws and policies, update existing model state drug laws, and create new or supplemental model laws that reflect changing drug-use trends and emerging issues. In practice, ONDCP is looking for one lead organization that can serve as a national hub for legal research, model legislation development, and hands-on support to state policymakers and stakeholders.

Funding is expected to be awarded as one cooperative agreement (not a standard grant), meaning ONDCP anticipates substantial involvement in the project through collaboration, participation, and possible intervention as work is carried out. The total anticipated award is up to $2,500,000 for a 24-month project period, planned to run from about July 2021 through June 2023. Renewal or supplementation applications can compete alongside new applications. The eligible applicant pool is limited to nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education as direct applicants), though the program strongly encourages partnership with academia through subawards.

The selected nonprofit is expected to deliver work across four main performance areas. First is research and analysis: the organization must conduct timely, ongoing research on state illicit drug laws, policies, and programs, especially those tied to current and emerging drug issues. It must also clearly describe and document how it decides which model laws to develop, including the criteria used to prioritize topics and select areas for new or revised model legislation. This research function is not meant to be purely academic; it is intended to directly inform practical legislative and policy solutions that states can adopt or adapt.

Second is drafting and revising model legislation. The awardee must draft new model state laws addressing evolving illicit drug challenges and revise existing model acts or develop supplemental provisions when changes in the policy landscape or drug-use patterns make updates necessary. A key expectation is that the work product is usable by states in real legislative settings, and the nonprofit is expected not only to draft but also to help move model legislation toward real-world enactment.

Third is technical assistance, which must be delivered by subject matter experts with proven experience drafting model illicit drug laws and deep familiarity with state legislative priorities, policy environments, and program considerations. Technical assistance is broadly framed and can include responding to requests from the public and from people representing legislatures and other organizations, but it must be carefully documented for reporting purposes. Documentation requirements include who received the assistance (name and type of recipient), what kind of assistance was provided, feedback from the recipient, and what resulted from the assistance. Applicants are expected to describe in their proposals how they will collect, manage, and report this information in a reliable way.

Fourth is the Model Acts Resource Center, a public-facing, web-based repository that the awardee must maintain. This resource center is expected to house state illicit drug laws and related statutes, policies, and programs, along with supporting materials such as studies, maps, tables, and other relevant drug-related information. The site must be easy for the public to access, with materials that are readily downloadable. The awardee is also expected to publish research and updates online and to develop and disseminate state statutes and case law as much as possible, while recognizing that copyright or other usage rights may limit what can be posted verbatim. Where case law is not clearly in the public domain or cannot be reproduced directly, the organization may need to provide abstracts or summaries of relevant decisions. In addition, the awardee must create a schedule to distribute state law reference documents and related materials to state and local officials, drug-sector professionals, and other interested audiences so that the information is not only archived online but actively delivered to the people who use it.

ONDCP signals several preference factors about what it wants to fund. Priority is given to proposals that include subawards to at least five law school clinics, reflecting a desire to build a broader legal research and drafting pipeline and to leverage clinic capacity for state-by-state analysis and support. ONDCP also expresses a strong preference for applicants with a demonstrated history of successfully facilitating enactment of model laws and with established relationships with law school clinics. In other words, the ideal applicant is not only capable of producing strong legal content but also has a track record of helping that content translate into adopted state legislation or formal policy change.

Administratively, the opportunity is governed by standard federal financial assistance rules, including the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements at 2 CFR Part 200 (as adopted by ONDCP through 2 CFR Part 3603). The underlying appropriations authority is tied to the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Public Law 116-260). The listing information associated with the opportunity includes CFDA 95.006, with an original application closing date of June 10, 2021, and an expectation of a single award at the $2.5 million ceiling. Overall, the opportunity is designed to fund one national nonprofit partner that can combine policy research, expert legal drafting, direct technical assistance, and a robust public information platform to help states respond quickly and coherently to changing illicit drug challenges.

• The Office of National Drug Control Policy in the law, justice and legal services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Model Acts" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 95.006.
• This funding opportunity was created on Apr 12, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 10, 2021. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $2,500,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.

Apply for MODEL ACTS 2021

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