What This Bill Does
This bill creates a new National Center within the Drug Enforcement Administration (a federal law enforcement agency). The Center will work to stop illegal synthetic drugs from entering the United States, particularly fentanyl, which is a dangerous synthetic opioid. Multiple government agencies will work together through this Center to track drug trafficking and break up the illegal drug trade.
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Who It Affects
- The President (appoints the Center's Director)
- The Senate (confirms the Director's appointment)
- Drug Enforcement Administration
- 12 other federal agencies listed in the bill
- Congress (receives reports and briefings)
- People involved in illegal synthetic drug trafficking
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Key Provisions
- A Director leads the National Center and serves as the President's cabinet-level advisor on the synthetic drug trade. The Director cannot hold any other executive branch position at the same time. (Sec. (b))
- The Director reports to Congress every year with information about how synthetic drugs enter the United States, a plan of action for the Center's main goals, and what resources the Center needs. (Sec. (c)(1))
- The National Center's main jobs are to analyze and stop illegal synthetic drug movement in the U.S., especially fentanyl trafficking; track drug traffickers; share information among agencies; and maintain a knowledge bank on drug trafficking organizations. (Sec. (d))
- The Center automatically shuts down five years after the law passes, unless the President extends it for an additional two years. (Sec. (g))
- The law does not limit anyone from growing, making, or selling cannabis in states where it is legal. (Sec. (f))
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What Changes
If this law passes, a new government agency structure forms inside the Drug Enforcement Administration with a cabinet-level Director who coordinates efforts across multiple federal agencies to stop synthetic drug imports. Federal agencies will share information about drug trafficking through this new Center. Congress will receive detailed yearly reports on how the government is fighting synthetic drug trafficking.
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Important Definitions
- **Synthetic drug trade**: Any illegal activity to grow, make, distribute, sell, finance, or transport synthetic drugs, or help someone else do so.
- **Drug trafficking organization**: A complex organized group with clear leadership structures that produce, transport, or distribute large quantities of synthetic drugs.
- **Persons trafficking in the synthetic drug trade**: Anyone who plays a role in the illegal synthetic drug business.
- **Agency**: Has the meaning given in federal law (section 551 of title 5, United States Code).
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I
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION H. R. 2616
To establish a National Center to Stop the Import of Illicit Synthetic Drugs.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
APRIL 13, 2023
Ms. PETTERSEN (for herself and Mrs. BEATTY) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
A BILL
To establish a National Center to Stop the Import of Illicit
Synthetic Drugs.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
1
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Stop the Import of
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Fentanyl Act of 2023’’.
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SEC. NATIONAL CENTER TO STOP THE IMPORT OF ILLICIT
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SYNTHETIC DRUGS.
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(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is within the Drug En-
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forcement Administration a National Center to Stop the
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Import of Illicit Synthetic Drugs (hereinafter referred to
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as the ‘‘National Center’’).
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•HR 2616 IH
(b) DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL CENTER TO STOP THE
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IMPORT OF ILLICIT SYNTHETIC DRUGS.—
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(1) IN GENERAL.—There is a Director of the
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National Center, who shall be the head of the Na-
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tional Center, and who shall be appointed by the
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President, by and with the advice and consent of the
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Senate.
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(2) NO
SIMULTANEOUS
APPOINTMENT.—The
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Director of the National Center may not simulta-
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neously serve in any other capacity in the executive
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branch.
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(c) REPORT AND BRIEFING REQUIRED.—
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(1) REPORT
REQUIRED.—Not later than 90
13
days after date of enactment of this Act, and annu-
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ally thereafter, the Director of the National Center
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shall submit to the Administrator of the Drug En-
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forcement Administration a report including—
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(A) an overview of how synthetic drugs
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come into the United States;
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(B) a strategic plan of action on each of
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its primary missions under subsection (d); and
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(C) identification of necessary resources
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from agencies and Congress to accomplish the
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primary missions under subsection (d).
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•HR 2616 IH
(2) BRIEF REQUIRED.—Not later than 90 days
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after date of enactment of this Act, and annually
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thereafter, the Director of the National Center shall
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provide a brief to Congress on the report required
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under paragraph (1).
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(d) PRIMARY MISSIONS.—The primary missions of
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the National Center shall be as follows:
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(1) To serve as the primary organization in the
8
United States Government for analyzing, tracking,
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and halting the movement of synthetic drugs domes-
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tically, particularly as it relates to the trafficking of
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fentanyl, fentanyl analogues, and precursor chemi-
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cals to produce fentanyl.
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(2) To serve as the primary organization in the
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United States Government for tracking the move-
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ments of persons trafficking in the synthetic drug
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trade in the United States and overseas through in-
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telligence gathering, in cooperation with other agen-
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cies, including:
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(A) The Drug Enforcement Administra-
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tion.
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(B) The Department of Justice.
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(C) The Department of State.
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(D) The Federal Bureau of Investigations.
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(E) The Internal Revenue Service.
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•HR 2616 IH
(F) The Department of the Treasury.
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(G) The National Security Agency.
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(H) The Central Intelligence Agency.
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(I) The United States Postal Service.
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(J) The Department of Homeland Secu-
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rity.
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(K) The United States Customs and Bor-
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der Patrol.
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(L) The Office of National Drug Control
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Policy.
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(M) The Office of the Director of National
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Intelligence.
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(3) To collect and share information with the
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agencies identified under paragraph (2) to identify
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and disrupt the movement of fentanyl from an origi-
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nal source to a consumer.
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(4) To develop a strategic plan to lead agencies,
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as appropriate, in the execution of efforts to break
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up the synthetic drug trade, including assigning
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roles and responsibilities to such agencies.
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(5) To ensure that agencies, as appropriate,
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have access to and receive information from other
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agencies, needed to execute their efforts to break up
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the synthetic drug trade or perform independent, al-
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ternative analysis of the synthetic drug trade.
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•HR 2616 IH
(6) To ensure that agencies have access to and
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receive intelligence needed to accomplish any activi-
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ties assigned to such agency pursuant to this sub-
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section.
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(7) To serve as the central and shared knowl-
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edge bank on known and suspected drug trafficking
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organizations, both foreign and domestic, including
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such organization’s strategies, capabilities, and net-
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works of contacts and support.
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(8) To trace the sale proceeds of the synthetic
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drug trade, to identify the interests of drug traf-
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ficking organizations and persons trafficking in the
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synthetic drug trade and reveal any network that fa-
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cilities such trade.
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(e) DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF DIRECTOR.—
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The Director shall:
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(1) Serve in the President’s cabinet as the prin-
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cipal advisor to the President on the synthetic drug
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trade.
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(2) Provide strategic operational plans for ef-
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forts of the United States Government to effectively
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break up the synthetic drug trade, both foreign and
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domestic.
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•HR 2616 IH
(3) Advise the Secretary of State on intelligence
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gathered related to the synthetic drug trade in for-
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eign countries.
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(4) Support relevant agencies in their efforts to
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break up the synthetic drug trade.
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(5) Testify before the appropriate Congressional
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committees annually.
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(f) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this Act
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shall be construed to limit the action of any person acting
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in compliance with State law relating to the manufacture,
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production, possession, distribution, dispensation, admin-
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istration, or delivery of cannabis.
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(g) SUNSET.—
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(1) IN GENERAL.—The National Center shall
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terminate on the date that is five years after the
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date of the enactment of this Act.
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(2) ADDITIONAL TIME PERIOD.—The President
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may authorize the National Center to operate for an
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additional two years after the date of termination
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under paragraph (1).
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(h) DEFINITIONS.—In this section:
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(1) AGENCY.—The term ‘‘agency’’ shall have
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the meaning given such term in section 551 of title
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5, United States Code.
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•HR 2616 IH
(2) APPROPRIATE
CONGRESSIONAL
COMMIT-
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TEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate Congressional com-
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mittees’’ means the—
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(A) Financial Services Committee of the
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House of Representatives;
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(B) Committee on Energy and Commerce
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of the House of Representatives;
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(C) Committee on Foreign Affairs of the
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House of Representatives; and
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(D) Committee on Homeland Security of
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the House of Representatives.
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(3) DRUG TRAFFICKING ORGANIZATION.—The
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term ‘‘drug trafficking organization’’ means a com-
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plex organization with highly defined command-and-
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control structures that produce, transport, or dis-
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tribute large quantities of one or more synthetic
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drugs.
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(4) PERSONS TRAFFICKING IN THE SYNTHETIC
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DRUG TRADE.—The term ‘‘persons trafficking in the
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synthetic drug trade’’ means a person that plays a
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role in the synthetic drug trade.
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(5) SYNTHETIC DRUG TRADE.—The term ‘‘syn-
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thetic drug trade’’ means any illicit activity to cul-
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tivate, produce, manufacture, distribute, sell, fi-
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nance, or transport synthetic drugs, or otherwise en-
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•HR 2616 IH
deavor or attempt to do so, or to assist, abet, con-
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spire, or collude with others to do so.
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Æ
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