Bipartisan Bill Would Help U.S. Law Enforcement Prevent Drug Smuggling And Save Lives
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV), a member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC), applauded news that the bipartisan Eradicating Narcotic Drugs and Formulating Effective New Tools to Address National Yearly Losses of Life (END FENTANYL) Act, legislation introduced by Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) and co-sponsored by Senator Rosen, has passed the Senate. This legislation, which Rosen helped move through committee earlier this year, would require the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to update its policies at least once every three years to ensure drug interdiction guidance is up to date. Many CBP policies that outline drug interdiction practices are outdated and do not provide guidance on how to handle drugs such as fentanyl.
“Fentanyl is a deadly drug that is killing people in Nevada and across our nation,” said Senator Rosen. “This bipartisan legislation will ensure that law enforcement officers are better prepared by providing them with updated tools and training to prevent the spread of dangerous drugs and help save lives. I’m glad to have co-sponsored this important bill and helped see it pass out of the Senate.”
The bipartisan END FENTANYL Act would:
- Require 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 smuggling of drugs and humans, along the border.
- Require 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.
This legislation builds off the 2019 GAO report, “Land Ports of Entry: CBP Should Update Policies and Enhance Analysis of Inspections,” which found that drug interdiction guidance has not been updated in 20 years. Senator Rosen has taken action to help address the threat of dangerous and illegal drugs coming into the United States. Her bipartisan DHS Opioid Detection Resilience Act was signed into law last Congress and would ensure that Department of Homeland Security personnel have the tools needed — like chemical screening devices — to more easily detect synthetic opioids, like fentanyl, which are contributing to the devastating substance abuse crisis in Nevada and across the country.
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