It has been nearly a year since Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) introduced the Eradicating Narcotic Drugs and Formulating Effective New Tools to Address National Yearly Losses of Life (END FENTANYL) Act.
And after the bill passed unanimously in the Senate in the dying days of the 117th Congress, the bill has risen from the ashes and passed without objection once again in the 118th Congress.
It will make its way to the House of Representatives in hopes to be put on the President’s desk.
“For too long, the fentanyl crisis has plagued our communities and caused crushing heartbreak to those who lose loved ones to these dangerous drugs. As fentanyl continues to flow illegally into the U.S. over the southern border and kill tens of thousands of our citizens, we must do more to support our brave CBP agents, and all who are on the front lines of this battle to ensure they have every tool needed to keep these dangerous drugs out of our communities,” stated Sen. Scott.
"This is a big win in our fight against the lethal opioid epidemic, but it is not the end. I am thankful for my colleagues in the Senate voting for its passage, and I’ll be fighting to get this important bill to the president’s desk and signed into law," Sen. Scott stated.
The bill calls for the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to improve and reform its approach every three years to “ensure drug interdiction guidance is up to date.” According to a 2019 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, the last time the interdiction guidance was updated was two decades ago.
In addition to the updated policies every three years, the bill requires a report from the Commissioner of CBP to be sent to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate and the Homeland Security Committee in the House of Representatives.
Co-sponsors of the Senate version of the bill include Senators Mike Braun (R-IN), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), and Mark Kelly (D-AR).
Representatives Michael Guest (R-MS) and David Trone (D-MD) introduced the companion bill in the House of Representatives.
