Florida Senator Rick Scott (R) announced that his bipartisan legislation, the Eradicating Narcotic Drugs and Formulating Effective New Tools to Address National Yearly Losses of Life (END FENTANYL) Act, passed the House of Representatives, marking a unanimous full Congressional passage, and now heads to the president’s desk.
According to a news release from Sen. Scott, the END FENTANYL Act will require the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to update its policies at least once every three years to ensure operational field manuals, including their drug interdiction guidance, are up to date. This legislation is cosponsored by Senators Mike Braun, Maggie Hassan, Jacky Rosen and Mark Kelly. Representatives Michael Guest and David Trone led the charge in the House of Representatives.
“For too long, the fentanyl crisis has plagued our communities and caused crushing heartbreak to those who lose loved ones to these dangerous drugs,” Scott said. “As fentanyl continues to flow illegally into the U.S. over the southern border and kills 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. Passage of the END FENTANYL Act 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 House and Senate voting for its passage, and I urge the president to quickly sign it into law.”
The END FENTANYL Act:
- Requires the Commissioner of CBP to review and update the Office of Field Operations’ policies and handbooks, as necessary and at least once every three years in order to respond to illegal activity, such as the trafficking of drugs and humans, along the border.
- Requires the Commissioner of CBP to submit a report to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives that summarizes the policy and manual changes every three years.
- Read more HERE.
