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Funding supports efforts to combat impaired driving
chp

The California Highway Patrol has announced more than $41 million in grant funding for 183 California law enforcement agencies, crime laboratories, local government agencies and nonprofit organizations to strengthen efforts to prevent and reduce impaired driving.

Funding comes through the voter-approved Proposition 64, which directs the CHP to administer grants for impaired driving education, prevention, and enforcement programs. The grants also fund forensic toxicology testing at crime laboratories. Program revenue comes from taxes on cannabis and cannabis products sold in California.

“The substantial increase in grant funding this year will help even more communities keep California’s roadways safe,” explained CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee. “These grants support education, strengthen enforcement efforts to remove impaired drivers from our roads, and expand research and forensic testing to improve traffic safety across the state.”

The CHP awarded grants to 160 law enforcement agencies to support impaired-driving enforcement across California. In addition to enforcement operations, agencies will use the funding to train drug recognition evaluators, expand their ability to identify drug-impaired drivers, and conduct public education campaigns through community events and presentations.

Twelve agencies received education grants to raise public awareness of impaired driving laws and to educate Californians about the dangers of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Ten agencies received two-year toxicology crime laboratory grants to reduce forensic testing backlogs, improve laboratory capacity, and purchase or upgrade testing equipment.

One medical examiner’s office received a two-year grant to improve data collection for impaired-driving cases.

A complete list of the 2026 grant recipients is available on the CHP website. The Newman and Gustine Police Departments were not among the grantees. Local agencies that will be getting grants included the police departments in Modesto, Turlock and Merced and the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department.

The CHP expects to open the next grant application period in early 2027. Additional information on the Cannabis Tax Fund Grant Program is available on the CHP website.