PSI Sci
New here? Follow the money and the votes · Not sure of your district? Find your U.S. House member · Find your state legislators

H.R. 4020: Drug Policy Reform Act of 2021

Before you vote › Federal bills

H.R. 4020: Drug Policy Reform Act of 2021

117th Congress · introduced 2021-06-17 · Crime and Law Enforcement · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2021-06-17 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Rep. Watson Coleman, Bonnie [D-NJ-12] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
  4. Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
  5. If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Drug Policy Reform Act of 2021

Plain summary

Drug Policy Reform Act of 2021 or the DPR Act of 2021 This bill transfers federal regulatory authority over controlled substances, eliminates federal penalties for some drug-related offenses, and removes some collateral consequences for certain criminal convictions. A collateral consequence is a penalty (e.g., a restriction on access to a program or service) imposed on an individual in addition to the penalty associated with the sentence. Specifically, the bill transfers regulatory authority over controlled substances from the Department of Justice to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Additionally, the bill directs HHS to establish a commission to determine a benchmark amount of a controlled substance for personal use supply. The bill eliminates federal criminal and civil penalties for simple possession of a controlled substance in an amount equal to or less than the benchmark. Finally, the bill removes the collateral consequences of certain convictions. For example, the bill removes some restrictions on eligibility for federal assistance and benefits for individuals who are convicted of certain drug-related offenses, reinstates the right to vote in federal elections for persons convicted of criminal offenses, and repeals the requirement for states to revoke or suspend driver's licenses of individuals who are convicted of drug offenses as a condition of receiving a full allocation of certain federal grant funds.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Drug Policy Reform Act of 2021

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

AI explanation – may be wrong, check the official text

No AI explanation yet. It takes up to a minute to write and is then saved for everyone.

Limited to a few requests an hour per person.

The strongest published arguments

Arguments for (supporters)

Needs sources: no published arguments on this side yet. We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

Arguments against (opponents)

Needs sources: no published arguments on this side yet. We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

Alternatives

Needs sources: no published alternatives yet (for example a different bill, a law instead of an amendment, or keeping current law). We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Watson Coleman, Bonnie [D-NJ-12] · 18 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Gwen Moore (D-WI), Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Adriano Espaillat (D-NY), Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), Diana DeGette (D-CO), J. Luis Correa (D-CA), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Jesús G. "Chuy" García (D-IL), James P. McGovern (D-MA), Janice D. Schakowsky (D-IL)

Sponsor's campaign money: Rep. Watson Coleman, Bonnie [D-NJ-12] reported raising $955,740 (2023–2024). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (1)
Bill
A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong117-hr4020 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong117 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong117