WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Bill Frist and Lamar Alexander today joined Congressman Zach Wamp in applauding the completion of the Fiscal Year 2006 Commerce, Justice and Science (CJS) Appropriations conference report. The report includes $4 million to assist Tennessee law enforcement officials in their ongoing battle against methamphetamine:

$3 million for a new statewide task force that will ensure all regions of the state have the training and equipment they need to address this crisis.

Last year Sens. Frist and Alexander worked with Rep. Wamp to double funding for the South/East Tennessee Methamphetamine Taskforce. That funding enabled the Taskforce to expand its training and support activities across the entire state. This year's additional funding will provide the necessary resources to support a statewide methamphetamine enforcement effort.

$1 million for the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) to develop a statewide crime tracking system. TBI will use the funding to equip and support a statewide methamphetamine intelligence and operational law enforcement computer database to assist the Tennessee statewide methamphetamine taskforce. The Hamilton County Sheriff's Department currently operates a database that will be expanded to ensure that regional methamphetamine task forces, TBI, and the Tennessee National Guard's Counter Drug Division can effectively work together to track repeat offenders.

Last year Tennessee ranked second nationally among all states in the number of methamphetamine lab seizures, and local law enforcement officials across the country rank meth as the nation's number one drug problem. Each pound of meth leaves behind five to six pounds of toxic waste, and the cost of a single lab cleanup ranges from $2,000 to $10,000.

“Methamphetamine is rapidly tearing apart our neighborhoods, destroying our families, and stealing our children's futures,” Sen. Frist said. “In August I heard first-hand from Tennesseans all across the state about the many ways in which methamphetamine is destroying their communities. I came back to Washington committed to finding the best way to assist state and local efforts to combat this addictive drug. By creating a statewide taskforce and providing meaningful funding, Tennessee’s law enforcement agencies can take the critical step of improving coordination in the fight against methamphetamine. This is just a first step, and I look forward to continuing my work with Sen. Alexander, Congressman Wamp, and the entire delegation to put an end to this crisis.”

“Methamphetamine is a critical problem in Tennessee where we have experienced the second-highest number of meth lab seizures in the nation,” Sen. Alexander said. “Strong support and cooperation among Tennessee's law enforcement efforts is vital to combating this scourge on our communities. A statewide database and tracking system will help get dangerous criminals off our streets by making sure that methamphetamine producers and their labs don't elude arrest because of jurisdictional boundaries. I will continue to work with Sen. Frist and our Congressional delegation to address the methamphetamine problem in Tennessee.”

“By creating the South/East Tennessee Methamphetamine Taskforce, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Tennessee addressed a serious shortcoming in the drug war and sought to consolidate the law enforcement efforts and resources in his jurisdiction to focus on destroying labs and getting convictions instead of just arresting and re-arresting offenders,” Rep. Wamp said. “The task force's results have been so impressive that they have been replicated across the state and now serve as a model to the entire nation. As the only Tennessean on the Appropriations Committee and at the joint request of the three U.S. Attorneys representing Tennessee's meth fighters, I have fought to provide proper funding for the taskforce and with the forceful support of Tennessee's Senators we were able to secure their request of $3 million to continue taskforce operations.”

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services also awarded $17.8 million to Tennessee through the Access to Recovery Program last year. That funding will be distributed over three years to enhance substance abuse clinical treatment and provide recovery support services. In August, the state was awarded an additional $1.5 million over three years to support treatment in six rural counties that have been especially hard hit by methamphetamine.

Both the Senate and the House must pass the conference report before sending it to the President for his signature.