If appointed by the President to the 11-member advisory panel, Larson would help make recommendations regarding any grant, contract or cooperative agreement administered through the program. The application process is expected to begin early next year.
"I am pleased to see the wheels are in motion to make these federal dollars available to local communities," said Grassley. "A leading representative of state substance abuse reduction efforts, Chuck Larson would bring his practical Iowa-based expertise to the national advisory panel. Plus, his experience would contribute greatly to meeting the goals of this new law giving community anti-drug coalitions the resources to address community-specific problems."
Meanwhile, Grassley is continuing work on his initiative to create the first-of-its-kind statewide community anti-drug coalition. Grassley this summer worked to set up an 18-member steering committee to help guide the initiative and identify individual task forces. The six task forces next week will hold their initial meetings. The task forces include: parents, youth, schools; media and public perception; workplace and workforce; law enforcement and the courts; religious, fraternal, and community; and medical accuracy and research. Larson is a member of the statewide steering committee.
"My efforts are designed to supplement the great work already underway by Larson and many other dedicated anti-drug organizations in the state," said Grassley. "Recent student surveys and law enforcement figures indicate more can be done though to help keep illegal drugs out of our schools and make Iowa communities and workplaces safer."