Protecting First Responders from Secondary Exposure Act of 2025
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The bill would add a new allowable use to an existing Justice Department grant program, letting grantees spend funds on containment devices and training to protect first responders from accidental fentanyl exposure.
What this bill would do
What it would do
The bill would amend the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to expand the list of purposes for which grant funds under the Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Use Program can be used. It would add a new allowable use: providing training and resources for first responders on using containment devices, and purchasing such devices, to prevent secondary exposure to fentanyl and other potentially lethal substances during their work. The bill does not create a new grant program or appropriate new money; it only widens what existing grant funds can pay for. It leaves the rest of the grant program's structure, eligibility, and funding levels unchanged.
Key provisions
- 1Would amend the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act to add containment-device training and purchases as an allowable use of program grant funds.
- 2Would redesignate existing paragraphs (4) through (10) of the allowable-uses list as paragraphs (5) through (11) to accommodate the new provision.
Who would be affected
State, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies, fire departments, emergency medical services, and other first responder organizations that receive grants under the Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Use Program administered by the Department of Justice.
Why it matters
First responders who encounter fentanyl and similar substances in the field face a documented risk of accidental exposure. By letting agencies use existing federal grant dollars for containment equipment and related training, the bill could make protective gear more accessible without requiring departments to find separate funding.
What would change
Changes to existing law
Amends Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10701(a)) (Sec. 2)
Adds a new allowable grant use covering first responder training on and purchase of containment devices against secondary fentanyl exposure.
Agencies directed to act
Funding and costs
Congressional Budget Office estimate
CBO estimates S. 180 would cost $28 million in discretionary spending (spending subject to annual appropriations) over the 2025–2030 period, with no effect on direct spending, revenues, or the deficit.
CBO estimates that implementing S. 180 would require $28 million in discretionary outlays over the 2025–2030 period, with costs beyond 2030 not estimated. The bill would amend the Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Use Program (COSSUP) to allow the Department of Justice to award competitive grants to state, local, and tribal governments for purchasing devices that protect first responders from secondary exposure to fentanyl and other lethal substances, and for related training. CBO projects roughly four governments would each receive grants of approximately $2 million per year; all spending is contingent on future appropriations. The bill has no effect on direct (mandatory) spending or revenues, would not increase deficits in any future 10-year period, and contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates.
Legislative status & sources
Latest action
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 77.
Official CRS summary
Show the CRS summaryHide the CRS summary
This bill expands the allowable uses of grant funds under the Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Use Program administered by the Department of Justice.
Specifically, the bill allows grants to be used for purchasing containment devices for first responders and training first responders on the use of containment devices to prevent secondary exposure to fentanyl and other potentially lethal substances.
Legislative subjects
Crime and Law Enforcement; Drug trafficking and controlled substances; Employment and training programs; First responders and emergency personnel