[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 99 (Thursday, June 14, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H5163-H5172]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      SECURING THE INTERNATIONAL MAIL AGAINST OPIOIDS ACT OF 2018

  Mr. REICHERT. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 934, I call 
up

[[Page H5164]]

the bill (H.R. 5788) to provide for the processing by U.S. Customs and 
Border Protection of certain international mail shipments and to 
require the provision of advance electronic information on 
international mail shipments of mail, and for other purposes, and ask 
for its immediate consideration in the House.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 934, in lieu of 
the amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the 
Committee on Ways and Means printed in the bill, the amendment in the 
nature of a substitute printed in part C of House Report 115-751, 
modified by the amendment printed in part D of the report, is adopted, 
and the bill, as amended, is considered read.
  The text of the bill, as amended, is as follows:

                               H.R. 5788

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

       (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Synthetics 
     Trafficking and Overdose Prevention Act of 2018'' or ``STOP 
     Act of 2018''.
       (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act 
     is as follows:

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Customs fees.
Sec. 3. Mandatory advance electronic information for postal shipments.
Sec. 4. International postal agreements.
Sec. 5. Cost recoupment.
Sec. 6. Development of technology to detect illicit narcotics.
Sec. 7. Civil penalties for postal shipments.
Sec. 8. Report on violations of arrival, reporting, entry, and 
              clearance requirements and falsity or lack of manifest.
Sec. 9. Effective date; regulations.

     SEC. 2. CUSTOMS FEES.

       (a) In General.--Section 13031(b)(9) of the Consolidated 
     Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (19 U.S.C. 
     58c(b)(9)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
       ``(D)(i) With respect to the processing of items that are 
     sent to the United States through the international postal 
     network by `Inbound Express Mail service' or `Inbound EMS' 
     (as that service is described in the mail classification 
     schedule referred to in section 3631 of title 39, United 
     States Code), the following payments are required:
       ``(I) $1 per Inbound EMS item.
       ``(II) If an Inbound EMS item is formally entered, the fee 
     provided for under subsection (a)(9), if applicable.
       ``(ii) Notwithstanding section 451 of the Tariff Act of 
     1930 (19 U.S.C. 1451), the payments required by clause (i), 
     as allocated pursuant to clause (iii)(I), shall be the only 
     payments required for reimbursement of U.S. Customs and 
     Border Protection for customs services provided in connection 
     with the processing of an Inbound EMS item.
       ``(iii)(I) The payments required by clause (i)(I) shall be 
     allocated as follows:
       ``(aa) 50 percent of the amount of the payments shall be 
     paid on a quarterly basis by the United States Postal Service 
     to the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection in 
     accordance with regulations prescribed by the Secretary of 
     the Treasury to reimburse U.S. Customs and Border Protection 
     for customs services provided in connection with the 
     processing of Inbound EMS items.
       ``(bb) 50 percent of the amount of the payments shall be 
     retained by the Postal Service to reimburse the Postal 
     Service for services provided in connection with the customs 
     processing of Inbound EMS items.
       ``(II) Payments received by U.S. Customs and Border 
     Protection under subclause (I)(aa) shall, in accordance with 
     section 524 of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1524), be 
     deposited in the Customs User Fee Account and used to 
     directly reimburse each appropriation for the amount paid out 
     of that appropriation for the costs incurred in providing 
     services to international mail facilities. Amounts deposited 
     in accordance with the preceding sentence shall be available 
     until expended for the provision of such services.
       ``(III) Payments retained by the Postal Service under 
     subclause (I)(bb) shall be used to directly reimburse the 
     Postal Service for the costs incurred in providing services 
     in connection with the customs processing of Inbound EMS 
     items.
       ``(iv) Beginning in fiscal year 2021, the Secretary, in 
     consultation with the Postmaster General, may adjust, not 
     more frequently than once each fiscal year, the amount 
     described in clause (i)(I) to an amount commensurate with the 
     costs of services provided in connection with the customs 
     processing of Inbound EMS items, consistent with the 
     obligations of the United States under international 
     agreements.''.
       (b) Conforming Amendments.--Section 13031(a) of the 
     Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (19 
     U.S.C. 58c(a)) is amended--
       (1) in paragraph (6), by inserting ``(other than an item 
     subject to a fee under subsection (b)(9)(D))'' after 
     ``customs officer''; and
       (2) in paragraph (10)--
       (A) in subparagraph (C), in the matter preceding clause 
     (i), by inserting ``(other than Inbound EMS items described 
     in subsection (b)(9)(D))'' after ``release''; and
       (B) in the flush at the end, by inserting ``or of Inbound 
     EMS items described in subsection (b)(9)(D),'' after 
     ``(C),''.
       (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section 
     shall take effect on January 1, 2020.

     SEC. 3. MANDATORY ADVANCE ELECTRONIC INFORMATION FOR POSTAL 
                   SHIPMENTS.

       (a) Mandatory Advance Electronic Information.--
       (1) In general.--Section 343(a)(3)(K) of the Trade Act of 
     2002 (Public Law 107-210; 19 U.S.C. 2071 note) is amended to 
     read as follows:
       ``(K)(i) The Secretary shall prescribe regulations 
     requiring the United States Postal Service to transmit the 
     information described in paragraphs (1) and (2) to the 
     Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection for 
     international mail shipments by the Postal Service (including 
     shipments to the Postal Service from foreign postal operators 
     that are transported by private carrier) consistent with the 
     requirements of this subparagraph.
       ``(ii) In prescribing regulations under clause (i), the 
     Secretary shall impose requirements for the transmission to 
     the Commissioner of information described in paragraphs (1) 
     and (2) for mail shipments described in clause (i) that are 
     comparable to the requirements for the transmission of such 
     information imposed on similar non-mail shipments of cargo, 
     taking into account the parameters set forth in subparagraphs 
     (A) through (J).
       ``(iii) The regulations prescribed under clause (i) shall 
     require the transmission of the information described in 
     paragraphs (1) and (2) with respect to a shipment as soon as 
     practicable in relation to the transportation of the 
     shipment, consistent with subparagraph (H).
       ``(iv) Regulations prescribed under clause (i) shall allow 
     for the requirements for the transmission to the Commissioner 
     of information described in paragraphs (1) and (2) for mail 
     shipments described in clause (i) to be implemented in 
     phases, as appropriate, by--
       ``(I) setting incremental targets for increasing the 
     percentage of such shipments for which information is 
     required to be transmitted to the Commissioner; and
       ``(II) taking into consideration--

       ``(aa) the risk posed by such shipments;
       ``(bb) the volume of mail shipped to the United States by 
     or through a particular country; and
       ``(cc) the capacities of foreign postal operators to 
     provide that information to the Postal Service.

       ``(v)(I) Notwithstanding clause (iv), the Postal Service 
     shall, not later than December 31, 2018, arrange for the 
     transmission to the Commissioner of the information described 
     in paragraphs (1) and (2) for not less than 70 percent of the 
     aggregate number of mail shipments, including 100 percent of 
     mail shipments from the People's Republic of China, described 
     in clause (i).
       ``(II) If the requirements of subclause (I) are not met, 
     the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to 
     the appropriate congressional committees, not later than June 
     30, 2019, a report--
       ``(aa) assessing the reasons for the failure to meet those 
     requirements; and
       ``(bb) identifying recommendations to improve the 
     collection by the Postal Service of the information described 
     in paragraphs (1) and (2).
       ``(vi)(I) Notwithstanding clause (iv), the Postal Service 
     shall, not later than December 31, 2020, arrange for the 
     transmission to the Commissioner of the information described 
     in paragraphs (1) and (2) for 100 percent of the aggregate 
     number of mail shipments described in clause (i).
       ``(II) The Commissioner, in consultation with the 
     Postmaster General, may determine to exclude a country from 
     the requirement described in subclause (I) to transmit 
     information for mail shipments described in clause (i) from 
     the country if the Commissioner determines that the country--
       ``(aa) does not have the capacity to collect and transmit 
     such information;
       ``(bb) represents a low risk for mail shipments that 
     violate relevant United States laws and regulations; and
       ``(cc) accounts for low volumes of mail shipments that can 
     be effectively screened for compliance with relevant United 
     States laws and regulations through an alternate means.
       ``(III) The Commissioner shall, at a minimum on an annual 
     basis, re-evaluate any determination made under subclause 
     (II) to exclude a country from the requirement described in 
     subclause (I). If, at any time, the Commissioner determines 
     that a country no longer meets the requirements under 
     subclause (II), the Commissioner may not further exclude the 
     country from the requirement described in subclause (I).
       ``(IV) The Commissioner shall, on an annual basis, submit 
     to the appropriate congressional committees--
       ``(aa) a list of countries with respect to which the 
     Commissioner has made a determination under subclause (II) to 
     exclude the countries from the requirement described in 
     subclause (I); and
       ``(bb) information used to support such determination with 
     respect to such countries.
       ``(vii)(I) The Postmaster General shall, in consultation 
     with the Commissioner, refuse any shipments received after 
     December 31,

[[Page H5165]]

     2020, for which the information described in paragraphs (1) 
     and (2) is not transmitted as required under this 
     subparagraph, except as provided in subclause (II).
       ``(II) If remedial action is warranted in lieu of refusal 
     of shipments pursuant to subclause (I), the Postmaster 
     General and the Commissioner shall take remedial action with 
     respect to the shipments, including destruction, seizure, 
     controlled delivery or other law enforcement initiatives, or 
     correction of the failure to provide the information 
     described in paragraphs (1) and (2) with respect to the 
     shipments.
       ``(viii) Nothing in this subparagraph shall be construed to 
     limit the authority of the Secretary to obtain information 
     relating to international mail shipments from private 
     carriers or other appropriate parties.
       ``(ix) In this subparagraph, the term `appropriate 
     congressional committees' means--
       ``(I) the Committee on Finance and the Committee on 
     Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate; and
       ``(II) the Committee on Ways and Means, the Committee on 
     Oversight and Government Reform, and the Committee on 
     Homeland Security of the House of Representatives.''.
       (2) Joint strategic plan on mandatory advance 
     information.--Not later than 60 days after the date of the 
     enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security and 
     the Postmaster General shall develop and submit to the 
     appropriate congressional committees a joint strategic plan 
     detailing specific performance measures for achieving--
       (A) the transmission of information as required by section 
     343(a)(3)(K) of the Trade Act of 2002, as amended by 
     paragraph (1); and
       (B) the presentation by the Postal Service to U.S. Customs 
     and Border Protection of all mail targeted by U.S. Customs 
     and Border Protection for inspection.
       (b) Capacity Building.--
       (1) In general.--Section 343(a) of the Trade Act of 2002 
     (Public Law 107-210; 19 U.S.C. 2071 note) is amended by 
     adding at the end the following:
       ``(5) Capacity building.--
       ``(A) In general.--The Secretary, with the concurrence of 
     the Secretary of State, and in coordination with the 
     Postmaster General and the heads of other Federal agencies, 
     as appropriate, may provide technical assistance, equipment, 
     technology, and training to enhance the capacity of foreign 
     postal operators--
       ``(i) to gather and provide the information required by 
     paragraph (3)(K); and
       ``(ii) to otherwise gather and provide postal shipment 
     information related to--

       ``(I) terrorism;
       ``(II) items the importation or introduction of which into 
     the United States is prohibited or restricted, including 
     controlled substances; and
       ``(III) such other concerns as the Secretary determines 
     appropriate.

       ``(B) Provision of equipment and technology.--With respect 
     to the provision of equipment and technology under 
     subparagraph (A), the Secretary may lease, loan, provide, or 
     otherwise assist in the deployment of such equipment and 
     technology under such terms and conditions as the Secretary 
     may prescribe, including nonreimbursable loans or the 
     transfer of ownership of equipment and technology.''.
       (2) Joint strategic plan on capacity building.--Not later 
     than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
     the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Postmaster General 
     shall, in consultation with the Secretary of State, jointly 
     develop and submit to the appropriate congressional 
     committees a joint strategic plan--
       (A) detailing the extent to which U.S. Customs and Border 
     Protection and the United States Postal Service are engaged 
     in capacity building efforts under section 343(a)(5) of the 
     Trade Act of 2002, as added by paragraph (1);
       (B) describing plans for future capacity building efforts; 
     and
       (C) assessing how capacity building has increased the 
     ability of U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Postal 
     Service to advance the goals of this Act and the amendments 
     made by this Act.
       (c) Report and Consultations by Secretary of Homeland 
     Security and Postmaster General.--
       (1) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
     enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter until 3 years 
     after the Postmaster General has met the requirement under 
     clause (vi) of subparagraph (K) of section 343(a)(3) of the 
     Trade Act of 2002, as amended by subsection (a)(1), the 
     Secretary of Homeland Security and the Postmaster General 
     shall, in consultation with the Secretary of State, jointly 
     submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report 
     on compliance with that subparagraph that includes the 
     following:
       (A) An assessment of the status of the regulations required 
     to be promulgated under that subparagraph.
       (B) An update regarding new and existing agreements reached 
     with foreign postal operators for the transmission of the 
     information required by that subparagraph.
       (C) A summary of deliberations between the United States 
     Postal Service and foreign postal operators with respect to 
     issues relating to the transmission of that information.
       (D) A summary of the progress made in achieving the 
     transmission of that information for the percentage of 
     shipments required by that subparagraph.
       (E) An assessment of the quality of that information being 
     received by foreign postal operators, as determined by the 
     Secretary of Homeland Security, and actions taken to improve 
     the quality of that information.
       (F) A summary of policies established by the Universal 
     Postal Union that may affect the ability of the Postmaster 
     General to obtain the transmission of that information.
       (G) A summary of the use of technology to detect illicit 
     synthetic opioids and other illegal substances in 
     international mail parcels and planned acquisitions and 
     advancements in such technology.
       (H) Such other information as the Secretary of Homeland 
     Security and the Postmaster General consider appropriate with 
     respect to obtaining the transmission of information required 
     by that subparagraph.
       (2) Consultations.--Not later than 180 days after the date 
     of the enactment of this Act, and every 180 days thereafter 
     until the Postmaster General has met the requirement under 
     clause (vi) of section 343(a)(3)(K) of the Trade Act of 2002, 
     as amended by subsection (a)(1), to arrange for the 
     transmission of information with respect to 100 percent of 
     the aggregate number of mail shipments described in clause 
     (i) of that section, the Secretary of Homeland Security and 
     the Postmaster General shall provide briefings to the 
     appropriate congressional committees on the progress made in 
     achieving the transmission of that information for that 
     percentage of shipments.
       (d) Government Accountability Office Report.--Not later 
     than June 30, 2019, the Comptroller General of the United 
     States shall submit to the appropriate congressional 
     committees a report--
       (1) assessing the progress of the United States Postal 
     Service in achieving the transmission of the information 
     required by subparagraph (K) of section 343(a)(3) of the 
     Trade Act of 2002, as amended by subsection (a)(1), for the 
     percentage of shipments required by that subparagraph;
       (2) assessing the quality of the information received from 
     foreign postal operators for targeting purposes;
       (3) assessing the specific percentage of targeted mail 
     presented by the Postal Service to U.S. Customs and Border 
     Protection for inspection;
       (4) describing the costs of collecting the information 
     required by such subparagraph (K) from foreign postal 
     operators and the costs of implementing the use of that 
     information;
       (5) assessing the benefits of receiving that information 
     with respect to international mail shipments;
       (6) assessing the feasibility of assessing a customs fee 
     under section 13031(b)(9) of the Consolidated Omnibus Budget 
     Reconciliation Act of 1985, as amended by section 2, on 
     international mail shipments other than Inbound Express Mail 
     service in a manner consistent with the obligations of the 
     United States under international agreements; and
       (7) identifying recommendations, including recommendations 
     for legislation, to improve the compliance of the Postal 
     Service with such subparagraph (K), including an assessment 
     of whether the detection of illicit synthetic opioids in the 
     international mail would be improved by--
       (A) requiring the Postal Service to serve as the consignee 
     for international mail shipments containing goods; or
       (B) designating a customs broker to act as an importer of 
     record for international mail shipments containing goods.
       (e) Technical Correction.--Section 343 of the Trade Act of 
     2002 (Public Law 107-210; 19 U.S.C. 2071 note) is amended in 
     the section heading by striking ``advanced'' and inserting 
     ``advance''.
       (f) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.--In this 
     section, the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' 
     means--
       (1) the Committee on Finance and the Committee on Homeland 
     Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate; and
       (2) the Committee on Ways and Means, the Committee on 
     Oversight and Government Reform, and the Committee on 
     Homeland Security of the House of Representatives.

     SEC. 4. INTERNATIONAL POSTAL AGREEMENTS.

       (a) Existing Agreements.--
       (1) In general.--In the event that any provision of this 
     Act, or any amendment made by this Act, is determined to be 
     in violation of obligations of the United States under any 
     postal treaty, convention, or other international agreement 
     related to international postal services, or any amendment to 
     such an agreement, the Secretary of State should negotiate to 
     amend the relevant provisions of the agreement so that the 
     United States is no longer in violation of the agreement.
       (2) Rule of construction.--Nothing in this subsection shall 
     be construed to permit delay in the implementation of this 
     Act or any amendment made by this Act.
       (b) Future Agreements.--
       (1) Consultations.--Before entering into, on or after the 
     date of the enactment of this Act, any postal treaty, 
     convention, or other international agreement related to 
     international postal services, or any amendment to such an 
     agreement, that is related to the ability of the United 
     States to secure the provision of advance electronic 
     information by foreign postal operators, the Secretary of 
     State should consult with the appropriate congressional 
     committees (as defined in section 3(f)).
       (2) Expedited negotiation of new agreement.--To the extent 
     that any new postal

[[Page H5166]]

     treaty, convention, or other international agreement related 
     to international postal services would improve the ability of 
     the United States to secure the provision of advance 
     electronic information by foreign postal operators as 
     required by regulations prescribed under section 343(a)(3)(K) 
     of the Trade Act of 2002, as amended by section 3(a)(1), the 
     Secretary of State should expeditiously conclude such an 
     agreement.

     SEC. 5. COST RECOUPMENT.

       (a) In General.--The United States Postal Service shall, to 
     the extent practicable and otherwise recoverable by law, 
     ensure that all costs associated with complying with this Act 
     and amendments made by this Act are charged directly to 
     foreign shippers or foreign postal operators.
       (b) Costs Not Considered Revenue.--The recovery of costs 
     under subsection (a) shall not be deemed revenue for purposes 
     of subchapter I and II of chapter 36 of title 39, United 
     States Code, or regulations prescribed under that chapter.

     SEC. 6. DEVELOPMENT OF TECHNOLOGY TO DETECT ILLICIT 
                   NARCOTICS.

       (a) In General.--The Postmaster General and the 
     Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, in 
     coordination with the heads of other agencies as appropriate, 
     shall collaborate to identify and develop technology for the 
     detection of illicit fentanyl, other synthetic opioids, and 
     other narcotics and psychoactive substances entering the 
     United States by mail.
       (b) Outreach to Private Sector.--The Postmaster General and 
     the Commissioner shall conduct outreach to private sector 
     entities to gather information regarding the current state of 
     technology to identify areas for innovation relating to the 
     detection of illicit fentanyl, other synthetic opioids, and 
     other narcotics and psychoactive substances entering the 
     United States.

     SEC. 7. CIVIL PENALTIES FOR POSTAL SHIPMENTS.

       Section 436 of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1436) is 
     amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
       ``(e) Civil Penalties for Postal Shipments.--
       ``(1) Civil penalty.--A civil penalty shall be imposed 
     against the United States Postal Service if the Postal 
     Service accepts a shipment in violation of section 
     343(a)(3)(K)(vii)(I) of the Trade Act of 2002.
       ``(2) Modification of civil penalty.--
       ``(A) In general.--U.S. Customs and Border Protection shall 
     reduce or dismiss a civil penalty imposed pursuant to 
     paragraph (1) if U.S. Customs and Border Protection 
     determines that the United States Postal Service--
       ``(i) has a low error rate in compliance with section 
     343(a)(3)(K) of the Trade Act of 2002;
       ``(ii) is cooperating with U.S. Customs and Border 
     Protection with respect to the violation of section 
     343(a)(3)(K)(vii)(I) of the Trade Act of 2002; or
       ``(iii) has taken remedial action to prevent future 
     violations of section 343(a)(3)(K)(vii)(I) of the Trade Act 
     of 2002.
       ``(B) Written notification.--U.S. Customs and Border 
     Protection shall issue a written notification to the Postal 
     Service with respect to each exercise of the authority of 
     subparagraph (A) to reduce or dismiss a civil penalty imposed 
     pursuant to paragraph (1).
       ``(3) Ongoing lack of compliance.--If U.S. Customs and 
     Border Protection determines that the United States Postal 
     Service--
       ``(A) has repeatedly committed violations of section 
     343(a)(3)(K)(vii)(I) of the Trade Act of 2002,
       ``(B) has failed to cooperate with U.S. Customs and Border 
     Protection with respect to violations of section 
     343(a)(3)(K)(vii)(I) of the Trade Act of 2002, and
       ``(C) has an increasing error rate in compliance with 
     section 343(a)(3)(K) of the Trade Act of 2002,

     civil penalties may be imposed against the United States 
     Postal Service until corrective action, satisfactory to U.S. 
     Customs and Border Protection, is taken.''.

     SEC. 8. REPORT ON VIOLATIONS OF ARRIVAL, REPORTING, ENTRY, 
                   AND CLEARANCE REQUIREMENTS AND FALSITY OR LACK 
                   OF MANIFEST.

       (a) In General.--The Commissioner of U.S. Customs and 
     Border Protection shall submit to the appropriate 
     congressional committees an annual report that contains the 
     information described in subsection (b) with respect to each 
     violation of section 436 of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 
     1436), as amended by section 7, and section 584 of such Act 
     (19 U.S.C. 1584) that occurred during the previous year.
       (b) Information Described.--The information described in 
     this subsection is the following:
       (1) The name and address of the violator.
       (2) The specific violation that was committed.
       (3) The location or port of entry through which the items 
     were transported.
       (4) An inventory of the items seized, including a 
     description of the items and the quantity seized.
       (5) The location from which the items originated.
       (6) The entity responsible for the apprehension or seizure, 
     organized by location or port of entry.
       (7) The amount of penalties assessed by U.S. Customs and 
     Border Protection, organized by name of the violator and 
     location or port of entry.
       (8) The amount of penalties that U.S. Customs and Border 
     Protection could have levied, organized by name of the 
     violator and location or port of entry.
       (9) The rationale for negotiating lower penalties, 
     organized by name of the violator and location or port of 
     entry.
       (c) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.--In this 
     section, the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' 
     means--
       (1) the Committee on Finance and the Committee on Homeland 
     Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate; and
       (2) the Committee on Ways and Means, the Committee on 
     Oversight and Government Reform, and the Committee on 
     Homeland Security of the House of Representatives.

     SEC. 9. EFFECTIVE DATE; REGULATIONS.

       (a) Effective Date.--This Act and the amendments made by 
     this Act (other than the amendments made by section 2) shall 
     take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act.
       (b) Regulations.--Not later than one year after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, such regulations as are necessary 
     to carry out this Act and the amendments made by this Act 
     shall be prescribed.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The bill, as amended, shall be debatable for 
1 hour, equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking 
minority member of the Committee on Ways and Means.
  The gentleman from Washington (Mr. Reichert) and the gentleman from 
Massachusetts (Mr. Neal) each will control 30 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Washington.


                             General Leave

  Mr. REICHERT. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include 
extraneous material on H.R. 5788, currently under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Washington?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. REICHERT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to be here today to speak in support of H.R. 
5788, the Synthetics Trafficking and Overdose Prevention Act, which is 
short for STOP Act. By passing this important bipartisan bill today, we 
are standing up for the health and safety of our communities and 
families and closing an important loophole allowing contraband to enter 
the United States through international mail.
  In my home State of Washington, there has been a 134 percent increase 
in opioid-related cases between 2004 and 2016, and opioid-related 
deaths increased by 33 percent. This increase, shockingly, exceeds our 
State's population growth, and it is why the work that we have been 
doing in Congress and in the Ways and Means Committee is so important.
  In April, we held a hearing in the Trade Subcommittee with witnesses 
from the United States Customs and Border Protection and the United 
States Postal Service. They discussed how synthetic opioids are 
entering the United States through the international mail system and 
how we can help them put a stop to this.
  The bipartisan legislation that we will vote on today supports their 
work by requiring advance electronic data on international mail 
shipments and allowing the Border Patrol to target for opioid 
shipments. It also holds these agencies accountable to do so much more 
than they have been doing by using hardline deadlines and mandates, as 
well as penalties. Ultimately, the bill will require the Postal Service 
to refuse packages for which this information is not provided unless 
there is compelling reason.
  The opioid crisis must be addressed from every angle, and that 
includes stopping illicit synthetic opioids from entering our country. 
We must do more to protect our families, our communities, and this bill 
would do just that.
  I want to thank Chairman Brady and Ranking Member Pascrell, 
Representative  Mike Bishop, Representative  John Faso, and many of my 
colleagues who have worked together on this bill. I would also like to 
thank the staffs of each one of these Members who have worked so hard 
and dedicated so much time on this critical issue.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting the STOP 
Act.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.


[[Page H5167]]


                                         House of Representatives,


                               Committee on Homeland Security,

                                     Washington, DC, June 6, 2018.
     Hon. Kevin Brady,
     Chairman, Committee on Ways and Means,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Brady: I write concerning H.R. 5788, the 
     ``Securing the International Mail Against Opioids Act of 
     2018.'' This legislation includes matters that fall within 
     the Rule X jurisdiction of the Committee on Homeland 
     Security.
       In order to expedite floor consideration of H.R. 5788, the 
     Committee on Homeland Security agrees to forgo action on this 
     bill. This is conditional on our mutual understanding that by 
     foregoing consideration of H.R. 5788 at this time, the 
     Committee on Homeland Security does not waive any 
     jurisdiction over the subject matter contained in this or 
     similar legislation and will be appropriately consulted as 
     this bill or similar legislation moves forward so that we may 
     address issues in our jurisdiction. Our Committee also 
     reserves the right to seek appointment of an appropriate 
     number of conferees to any House-Senate conference involving 
     this or similar legislation, and asks that you support any 
     such request.
       Please place a copy of this letter and your response 
     acknowledging our jurisdictional interest into the 
     Congressional Record during consideration of the measure on 
     the House floor. Thank you for your cooperation in this 
     matter.
           Sincerely,
                                                Michael T. McCaul,
     Chairman.
                                  ____

                                         House of Representatives,


                                  Committee on Ways and Means,

                                     Washington, DC, June 6, 2018.
     Hon. Michael T. McCaul,
     Chairman, Committee on Homeland Security,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman McCaul: Thank you for your letter regarding 
     H.R. 5788, ``Securing the International Mail Against Opioids 
     Act of 2018,'' on which the Committee on Homeland Security 
     was granted an additional referral.
       I am most appreciative of your decision to waive formal 
     consideration of H.R. 5788 so that it may proceed 
     expeditiously to the House floor. I acknowledge that although 
     you waived formal consideration of the bill, the Committee on 
     Homeland Security is in no way waiving its jurisdiction over 
     the subject matter contained in those provisions of the bill 
     that fall within your Rule X jurisdiction. I would support 
     your effort to seek appointment of an appropriate number of 
     conferees on any House-Senate conference involving this 
     legislation.
       I will include a copy of our letters in the Congressional 
     Record during consideration of this legislation on the House 
     floor.
           Sincerely,
                                                      Kevin Brady,
     Chairman.
                                  ____

                                      Committee on Ways and Means,


                                     House of Representatives,

                                     Washington, DC, June 8, 2018.
     Hon. Trey Gowdy,
     Chairman, Committee Oversight and Government Reform, 
         Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Gowdy: I write to you regarding H.R. 5788, 
     the ``Securing the International Mail Against Opioids Act of 
     2018'' on which the Committee on Oversight and Government 
     Reform was granted an additional referral. I ask that you 
     waive formal consideration of H.R. 5788 so that it may 
     proceed expeditiously to the House Floor.
       I acknowledge that by waiving formal consideration of this 
     bill, the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform is in 
     no way waiving its jurisdiction over the subject matter 
     contained in those provisions of the bill that fall within 
     your Rule X jurisdiction. I would support your effort to seek 
     appointment of an appropriate number of conferees on any 
     House-Senate conference involving this legislation.
       I will include a copy of our letters in the Congressional 
     Record during consideration of this legislation on the House 
     floor.
           Sincerely,
                                                      Kevin Brady,
     Chairman.
                                  ____

         House of Representatives, Committee on Oversight and 
           Government Reform,
                                    Washington, DC, June 11, 2018.
     Hon. Kevin Brady,
     Chairman, Committee on Ways and Means,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Chairman: Thank you for your letter regarding H.R. 
     5788, the Securing the International Mail Against Opioids Act 
     of 2018. As you know, certain provisions of the bill fall 
     within the jurisdiction of Committee on Oversight and 
     Government Reform.
       So that H.R. 5788 may proceed expeditiously to the House 
     Floor, I agree to discharging the Committee on Oversight and 
     Government Reform from further consideration thereof. I agree 
     that forgoing formal consideration of the bill will not 
     prejudice the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform 
     with respect to any future jurisdictional claim, and I 
     appreciate your agreement to support appointment of members 
     of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform as 
     conferees in any House-Senate conference on this or related 
     legislation. In addition, I request the Committee be 
     consulted and involved as the bill or similar legislation 
     moves forward so we may address any remaining issues within 
     our jurisdiction.
       Finally, I request you include your letter and this 
     response in the bill report filed by your Committee, as well 
     as in the Congressional Record during consideration of the 
     bill on the floor.
           Sincerely,
                                                       Trey Gowdy.

  Mr. REICHERT. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the gentleman 
from Michigan (Mr. Bishop) be permitted to control the time of the 
majority.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Washington?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. NEAL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, our country is currently experiencing an epidemic of 
opioid-related overdoses and fatalities. My community and my State of 
Massachusetts are not strangers to the heartbreak and devastation that 
we recognize on this occasion.
  There is a lot we can and should be doing about the opioid epidemic, 
and I am eager to work with my colleagues here in the House on 
comprehensive and effective solutions. For today, the bill we are to 
consider is a good start.
  The Synthetics Trafficking and Overdose Prevention, or STOP, Act of 
2018 shores up the ability of U.S. Customs to target and thwart 
shipments of synthetic opioids like fentanyl into the United States 
through the mail. It requires the U.S. Postal Service to collect 
important information about the contents and senders of packages from 
foreign postal services.
  I supported the earlier edition of this bill that was introduced in 
2017 because I recognized the enormity of the devastation we face with 
opioids. I know that there were serious concerns with the earlier 
version of the bill, especially with respect to the severity of the 
penalties it imposed on the Postal Service. I am glad that the STOP Act 
that we are considering today makes important improvements to that 
original bill and to those penalties and provisions.
  Let me especially express my appreciation for Ways and Means Trade 
Subcommittee Ranking Member Bill Pascrell, who has worked together with 
the Democrats on the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, the 
Senate, and the majority, obviously, to make improvements.
  I understand there were some continued concerns with the bill, and we 
certainly want to continue to work with interested parties to address 
those concerns.
  Given the urgency of the epidemic at hand, I am glad that we are able 
to support what is in front of us today, which I believe is a strong 
and achievable measure in this legislation to at least address part of 
the opioid epidemic.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from New 
Jersey (Mr. Pascrell), and I ask unanimous consent that he may control 
that time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Massachusetts?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BISHOP of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of my legislation, H.R. 5788, 
the STOP Act.
  Mr. Speaker, this bill is focused on stopping synthetic opioids like 
fentanyl and carfentanil from entering our country through the 
international mail system.
  These synthetic opioids can be 50 to 500 times more potent than a 
regular street dose of heroin, and it is the ever-growing presence of 
these synthetic opiates in our country that is causing overdose deaths 
to skyrocket. In fact, today, according to the National Institute on 
Drug Abuse, there are over 115 deaths each and every day from opioid 
overdose.
  To address this crisis, I have been traveling across my district in 
Michigan hosting townhalls and roundtables, where I have heard, 
firsthand, the devastating impact this crisis is having in our 
communities.
  I have also met with a wide range of officials in my district who are 
on the front lines of this crisis, including police and fire personnel, 
emergency response personnel, educators, medical

[[Page H5168]]

professionals, and others, all of whom are pleading for commonsense 
solutions at the Federal level to address this crisis, just like the 
bill we are voting on today.
  I want to be candid; I agree. Currently, our government is not doing 
enough to stop the flow of synthetic opiates coming through the 
international mail system.
  I was astounded to find out that current law treats packages coming 
in through private carriers like FedEx and UPS differently than it does 
shipments through the international mail system. Private carriers are 
required to provide what is known as advance electronic data, or AED, 
on all inbound packages, while the same is not true for shipments 
handled by the United States Postal Service in the international mail 
system.
  This advance electronic data includes three primary pieces of 
information: where a package is from, where it is going to, and what is 
in it. This is actionable data that enables the CBP to target high-risk 
shipments for inspection and seizure.
  Officials at the CBP will tell you this is all about finding a needle 
in a haystack. This AED information provides law enforcement the tools 
they need, the information they need to interdict and seize these 
illegal packages.

                              {time}  1230

  So here, specifically, is what my bill would do: H.R. 5788 would 
require the United States Postal Service to obtain AED on all 
international mail shipments by 2020 so that the United States Customs 
and Border Protection can target suspicious packages for synthetic 
opioids and other dangerous shipments. It also requires USPS to ramp up 
70 percent AED compliance by the end of this year. The legislation 
would also require the United States Postal Service to refuse shipment 
of any foreign package that does not have AED after 2020.
  Additionally, this bill includes strong enforcement and 
accountability provisions that will impose civil penalties against the 
United States Postal Service if they accept packages without AED after 
2020.
  Lastly, and I think most importantly, this bill gives Congress strong 
oversight authority, which includes biannual reporting to Congress and 
reporting by the GAO to update us on the agency's progress. In the end, 
it is the responsibility of Congress to ensure agencies are complying 
with the law.
  I would like to, if I could, quickly thank Chairman Brady, Chairman 
Reichert, Ranking Member Neal, Congressman Pascrell, Congressmen Faso 
and Kelly, and all my colleagues on the House Ways and Means Committee 
for their support. I would also like to thank Senators Hatch, Wyden, 
and Portman for all their constructive input in this process.
  Mr. Speaker, this is about stopping dangerous opioids from entering 
our country. Too many Americans have died from the opioid crisis, and 
it is high time we take action to put a stop to the inflow of foreign 
synthetic opioids.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I am pleased, Mr. Speaker, to be on the floor today regarding a bill 
that we have been negotiating for many months and that deals with an 
incredibly important topic: the opioid epidemic that is having a 
devastating impact across the country.
  Despite current efforts, this opioid epidemic continues to ravage our 
communities. Every day in this country, 115 Americans lose their lives 
to opioids--painkillers. In 2016, my home State of New Jersey alone 
experienced 2,056 lives lost to this epidemic. The New Jersey Attorney 
General predicts that it will be 3,000 this year.
  This legislation addresses one aspect of the crisis: synthetic 
opioids making their way into homes across the country through the 
mail. According to the Drug Enforcement Agency, China is the primary 
source of the fentanyl that enters this country. Fentanyl is often sold 
online and then shipped to the United States in small quantities, 
making it very difficult to detect.
  I saw firsthand the way that the U.S. Postal Service and Customs is 
working together to stop the flow of synthetic opioids coming in 
through international mail. I visited a mail facility in Secaucus, New 
Jersey, with representatives from these agencies and the Food and Drug 
Administration. I know that the Postal Service receives an overwhelming 
volume of mail and they are working hard with limited resources to 
screen shipments. But we have some clear strategies that we can employ 
to create an effective system for targeting shipments that have a risk 
of containing these opioids, namely collecting advance electronic data, 
AED, on all packages that enter the United States.
  The information contained in the AED typically includes the name and 
address of the shipper and recipient, as well as the contents of the 
package. CBP, Customs and Border Protection, uses this information to 
identify packages that may pose a risk. Customs can then place a hold 
on the shipment and notify carriers that a package must be presented 
for examination.
  Private carriers have been required to collect this information since 
2002, but we made the Postal Service exempt from this requirement. As a 
result, it has become the preferred method for shipping illicit 
materials, including opioids, into the United States.
  The version of the STOP Act that we are considering today is an 
amended version of the original act, which was introduced back in 2017. 
We had 271 sponsors on that legislation.
  The old STOP Act would have required the United States Postal Service 
to collect 100 percent of that information within 1 year or face 
penalties of up to $5,000 for every package for which it failed to do 
so. A number of stakeholders raised concerns with this approach, so we 
worked with them, including the Postal Service and their unions, to try 
to arrive at a workable solution.
  As a result of these discussions and consultations, we have been able 
to make a number of important changes. The legislation on the floor 
today makes a number of significant changes that address the concerns 
raised by stakeholders.
  First, this bill allows more time for the United States Postal 
Service to come into compliance. The United States Postal Service will 
have until the end of 2020 to transmit the AED on all international 
mail delivered to the United States.
  This legislation includes a waiver that excludes countries that lack 
capacity to collect that information and pose a low risk of violating 
U.S. laws from the 100 percent requirement. As a result, the United 
States Postal Service will not be penalized for issues that are outside 
its control and should be able to comply with its international 
commitments.
  Second, the amended legislation removes the requirement that the 
United States Postal Service hire a broker for every package that 
enters into the United States, saving costs and ensuring they can 
receive inbound mail under its current practices.
  Finally, the legislation provides for a more nuanced approach to 
United States Postal Service penalties. Customs is required to reduce 
or eliminate penalties if the Postal Service does one of three things: 
it cooperates with Customs, it has a high compliance rate, or it takes 
remedial measures.
  These changes were proposed by the United States Postal Service to 
address its concerns regarding the penalties provision. So as a 
practical matter, these changes mean that, if the Postal Service 
continues its current work, penalties will likely never be imposed. 
Further, the legislation does not allow penalties to be considered 
until 2021.
  I would also like to highlight language in the bill directing the 
Customs and Border Protection to provide an annual report on the 
individuals and the companies that are not providing this information 
and the manner in which it imposes penalties. Requiring the CBP to 
report this useful information on violators and violator penalty 
assessments I believe will enhance the interdiction of prohibited items 
from entering the United States through express consignment operators.
  This revised bill has support from a variety of public safety and 
public health groups, as well as the National Conference of State 
Legislatures. Just before we started today, the Fraternal Order of 
Police sent a supporting letter in support of this. This is good news 
for both sides of the aisle.

[[Page H5169]]

  This revised bill has support from a variety of public safety and 
public health groups. Despite the significant changes, I understand 
that some of the stakeholders remain opposed, and we should understand 
that. We tried to work with those who have opposed. I respect the 
continued concerns that these stakeholders have articulated and look 
forward to working with them going forward.
  However, with the changes that we have been able to incorporate into 
this legislation on a bipartisan basis, I believe that the current 
legislation provides an aggressive but workable approach to the United 
States Postal Service. I strongly support the legislation, Mr. Speaker, 
on the floor today, and I urge my colleagues to vote for it as well.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BISHOP of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Roskam).
  Mr. ROSKAM. Mr. Speaker, all of us, everybody we know, has a lot of 
things that they are dealing with on a daily basis. There are 
challenges, and there are issues and little minicrises, until somebody 
gets a phone call that says that their child is in the emergency room 
with an opioid overdose. Then, all of a sudden, you have one crisis.
  That has been happening in my constituency, and I know that has been 
happening in districts all across the country.
  The first time this issue was brought to my attention, it was from a 
friend of mine. The coroner in DuPage County, Illinois, in my district, 
Dr. Rich Jorgensen said: Peter, there are kids who are dying of this 
crisis.
  He kept being a voice on this and bringing it to my attention. He and 
others in my home county, the HOPE Taskforce, have been joining 
together. I have met with them. They have given me feedback. Similarly, 
there is another task force, the Substance Abuse Coalition in McHenry 
County, Illinois, doing similar work.
  As I have met with them, they have said that one of the challenges is 
that this drug, this fentanyl, comes in through the United States 
Postal Service. When you first hear about this, you are incredulous 
about it. You say: No, that can't be.
  But the more you learn, the more you realize that this is a major 
problem. In fact, in terms of importing this or this crossing our 
border, my understanding is that this is at the top of the heap.
  To understand the nature, the science, and the medicine behind 
fentanyl is to mean that it scares the living daylights out of you. 
This molecule gets in your body, and the power of it is just 
overwhelming.
  So I want to thank Mr. Bishop, and I want to thank Mr. Pascrell for 
the work that they are doing on a bipartisan basis to bring people 
together to work through this and to come up with solutions.
  Now, this is not the only thing that is going to be happening here. 
This is in the context of other pieces of legislation. This is in the 
context of looking at treatment reimbursement, of screening, and of 
education. But this inbound flow is something that this Congress can do 
something about. Just in a nutshell, bringing together the United 
States Postal Service, the CBP, and also the United States State 
Department to work together in a coordinated fashion is something that 
my district is really pleased about.
  So I am pleased to be here to advocate on its behalf, and I urge its 
passage.
  Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Danny K. Davis).
  Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Pascrell for 
yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record two documents. One is an article 
from the Chicago Sun Times of today, ``A 4-Block Radius on the West 
Side Is at the Heart of Chicago's Opioid Epidemic,'' and ``The Opioid 
Crisis in Illinois'' by the Illinois Department of Human Services.

              [From the Chicago Sun Times, June 14, 2018]

 A 4-Block Radius on the West Side Is at the Heart of Chicago's Opioid 
                                Epidemic

                    (By Tanveer Ali and Sam Charles)

       On July 15, 2016, Darwin Phillips was found dead by his 
     mother in the basement of the home in West Humboldt Park 
     where she and Phillips had lived since she bought it in 1979.
       He was 50 when he died of an overdose of heroin and two 
     types of Fentanyl, heroin's synthetic but deadlier cousin, an 
     autopsy found.
       ``A sweet guy'' who worked odd jobs while grappling with 
     mental illness and addiction and was the father of two, 
     Phillips had overdosed five times before his fatal OD, 
     according to his mother Jamie Roberts.
       ``It's a disease,'' says Roberts. ``It's sad that people 
     take advantage of drug addicts. It still bothers me a lot. We 
     tried to get him help.''
       Phillips' death was one of 745 in Cook County in 2016 
     linked to opioids, according to the Cook County medical 
     examiner's office. In Chicago, African-American victims like 
     Phillips accounted for 362 of those deaths--48 percent.
       That stands in contrast to what's going on nationally. 
     Across the United States, white people accounted for about 78 
     percent of all opioid deaths in 2016, research by the Kaiser 
     Family Foundation found.
       ``The epidemic in Chicago is not the national epidemic,'' 
     says Amanda Brooks, chief population health officer of the 
     PCC Community Wellness Center, (http://www.pccwellness.org) 
     which focuses largely on the West Side. ``The Chicago 
     epidemic is affecting 45- to 65-year-old men on the West 
     Side.''
       In 2014, there were 212 opioid-related deaths in Cook 
     County, 129 of them in Chicago, according to the medical 
     examiner's office. By 2017, Cook County had 1,150 opioid 
     deaths, 764 of those in Chicago.
       By comparison, Chicago saw 664 homicides in 2017 (https://
chicago.suntimes.com/news/chicago-murders-homicides-2017-
steep-decline/).
       What's changed to cause the rise in opioid deaths? The rise 
     of Fentanyl, experts say.
       The powerful painkiller is legally available by 
     prescription. But it also can easily be manufactured 
     illegally and typically is mixed by dealers with other 
     illicit, though less deadly, drugs like heroin--often without 
     users knowing they're taking Fentanyl.
       ``Most of our patients are not intentionally taking 
     Fentanyl,'' Brooks says.
       About 5 percent of the opioid deaths in 2014 were Fentanyl-
     related, according to medical examiner data, and 67 percent 
     were tied to heroin.
       By 2017, Fentanyl was a factor in 57 percent of opioid 
     deaths in Cook County, while heroin played a role in 66 
     percent. A combination of the two played a role in 37 
     percent.
       While the number of opioid deaths has risen sharply 
     countywide since 2014, the impact largely has been felt in 
     areas with a lack of resources.
       In 2017, Chicago Fire Department crews were dispatched to 
     9,158 opioid-related overdoses, records show--up 163 percent 
     compared to 2014. The hardest-hit parts of the city. West 
     Side neighborhoods like Garfield Park, West Humboldt Park, 
     Austin and North Lawndale.
       A four-block radius roughly around Ridgeway and Augusta 
     alone was responsible for 1,257 calls in 2016 and 2017--about 
     7.2 percent of all opioid-related calls citywide during that 
     period.
       That's the area where Phillips died.
       His mother says drug dealers don't set up in the immediate 
     area around her home, as she and her neighbors have made it 
     clear that they want to keep their sidewalks crime-free. When 
     the weather turned warm, Roberts resumed what's become a 
     summer tradition for her selling snow-cones for 25 cents to 
     $1 outside her home.
       ``This,'' Roberts says, ``is my corner.''
                                  ____


            [From the Illinois Department of Human Services]

      The Opioid Crisis in Illinois: Data and the State's Response


                     Statewide Drug overdose Trends

       Nature of the Opioid Use Disorder Problem--The opioid 
     crisis has manifested itself in the form of multiple public 
     health problems. An analysis of the nature and extent of 
     these problems provides evidence of the seriousness of the 
     opioid crisis in Illinois, the widespread prevalence of these 
     problems across our state, and the existence of populations 
     and local areas with the most critical gaps in services.
       Opioid Overdose Deaths--Perhaps none of these problems has 
     heightened the awareness of the general public to the same 
     degree as the recent dramatic increase in opioid overdose 
     deaths. Drug overdose deaths in this country nearly tripled 
     from 1999 to 2014. Among the 47,055 drug overdose deaths that 
     occurred in the U.S. in 2014, 28,647 (60.9 percent) involved 
     an opioid. Like many states, Illinois has recently 
     experienced a notable increase in drug overdose deaths that 
     can primarily be attributed to an increase in opioid overdose 
     deaths. Provisional death records data obtained from the 
     Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) show 2,278 drug-
     related overdose deaths during 2016. This represents a 44.3 
     percent increase over the 1,579, drug-related overdose deaths 
     that were reported by IDPH for 2013. This statewide increase 
     in drug-related overdose deaths is almost totally accounted 
     for by an increase in opioid-related overdose deaths. Of the 
     2,278 Illinois statewide drug overdose deaths during 2016, 
     over 80 percent were opioid-related fatalities. The 1,826 
     opioid-related overdose deaths among Illinois residents that 
     have been provisionally reported for 2016 represents an over 
     70 percent increase in the number of such deaths that were 
     reported in 2013, and a 32.1 percent increase over the 1,382 
     opioid-related overdose that were reported to IDPH for 2015.

[[Page H5170]]

       The maps below illustrate the number and population rates 
     of opioid overdose deaths across Illinois' 102 counties 
     during 2016. The map based on the number of opioid overdose 
     deaths during 2016 provides evidence that the opioid crisis 
     continues to impact communities and individuals throughout 
     Illinois. Cook County accounted for nearly 50 percent of the 
     opioid overdose death in Illinois during 2016. The 911 opioid 
     overdose deaths reported for Cook County in 2016 represented 
     an 87.4 percent increase from the 486 such death that were 
     reported for this county during 2013. Specific to the City of 
     Chicago, the 581 opioid overdose deaths in 2016 represented a 
     93 percent increase from the 301 such deaths reported in 
     2013. As has been the case in previous years, the counties 
     bordering on Cook and other counties with relatively high 
     resident populations, particularly Madison, Peoria, St. 
     Clair, and Winnebago counties, were major contributors to the 
     statewide number of opioid overdose deaths in 2016.
       The state map based on county population rates of opioid 
     overdose deaths provides further insight into the locality-
     specific and statewide severity of this problem in Illinois. 
     This map shows that several Illinois counties have resident 
     population rates of opioid overdose deaths that are not only 
     equal to, but greater than, that of Cook County. In fact, 
     there were 18 Illinois counties that had 2016 population 
     rates of opioid overdose deaths that were greater than that 
     of Cook County. Twelve (12) of the counties with the highest 
     2016 population rates of opioid overdose deaths are in IDHS 
     Regions 4 and 5. These two service regions have the lowest 
     levels of currently-available opioid use disorder (OUD) 
     medication assisted treatment (MAT) resources in the state.

  Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, the purpose of the STOP 
Act is to address the influx of synthetic opioids arriving through 
international mail. Given the growing harm to our communities from 
substance abuse, I, too, want to thank and commend the Ways and Means 
Committee for its hard work on developing this legislation. Especially, 
I want to point out the efforts of Mr. Pascrell and Mr. Bishop.
  I am strongly committed to preventing the shipments of dangerous and 
illegal opioids into the United States. I support the intent of this 
bill to limit illegal trafficking of drugs, and I voted in support of 
this bill in the Ways and Means Committee.
  However, after the last-minute changes made to this bill in the Rules 
Committee, I, unfortunately, cannot support H.R. 5788. The Republican 
leadership insisted on last-minute changes to impose civil penalties on 
the Postal Service for any accepted shipment lacking advance electronic 
data without allowing enough time to fully vet the impact of the 
changes with critical stakeholders.
  I am concerned about the fairness of imposing civil penalties for 
individual shipments lacking electronic data when the Postal Service 
lacks direct control over whether foreign postal operators provide this 
data. I am concerned that having one executive branch entity impose 
penalties on another would set up an adversarial relationship in 
addressing illegal drug trafficking rather than a collaborative 
relationship. I am also concerned that penalties are imposed based on 
individual shipments rather than systematic violations.
  I appreciate the work of my Democratic colleagues to mitigate the 
negative effects of these civil penalties; however, due to the concerns 
of the U.S. Postal Service and the postal unions about the negative 
impact of these last-minute changes by Republican leadership, I cannot 
support this bill at this time. I am committed to stopping the shipment 
of dangerous drugs and to working to resolve these problems as this 
legislation continues to move forward.
  I urge that we continue to work to improve it and make it the very 
best that it can be without threatening in any way the viability of 
postal operations.

                              {time}  1245

  Mr. BISHOP of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Faso).
  Mr. FASO. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Bishop for yielding and for his 
leadership on this issue.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5788, the amended 
Synthetics Trafficking and Overdose Prevention Act of 2018. Once signed 
into law, this legislation will help combat our Nation's growing opioid 
crisis by preventing the easy importation of synthetic opioids through 
the United States Postal Service.
  Under current law, private shipping companies are required to provide 
Customs and Border Protection with advance electronic data for packages 
inbound to the United States. The inclusion of this data makes 
illegally shipped items easier to track and locate.
  This standard is not imposed on our own Postal Service, however, even 
though the U.S. Postal Service brought more than four times the number 
of packages into the U.S. than all private carriers like FedEx and UPS 
did in 2016, combined.
  This bill will bring the U.S. Postal Service up to industry standards 
by requiring advance electronic data for 100 percent of packages by 
2020 and a strong goal of 70 percent by the end of this year. Also 
required is a 2019 study by the GAO assessing the progress made by the 
Postal Service. By requiring this data of foreign shippers, we can help 
to keep dangerous synthetic opioids like fentanyl and carfentanil off 
our streets.
  The abundance of fentanyl within our borders is leading to an 
increase in overdoses and overdose-related deaths. A recent study from 
the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration indicated 
that fentanyl is now the most common fatal overdose drug in the United 
States. Of the roughly 42,000 opioid overdose deaths in 2016, about 
20,000 of those were from fentanyl.
  Mr. Speaker, just how dangerous is fentanyl and carfentanil? I can 
relate to you a recent incident which occurred in our State of New 
York.
  Seizures of fentanyl in the New York area spiked by over 1,000 
percent between 2016 and 2017. In 2016, in New York City, where JFK 
International Airport is a major transshipment point, 62 pounds of 
fentanyl were seized. In 2017, 1,162 pounds were seized.
  Earlier this year, in just one bust, officials seized nearly 100 
pounds of fentanyl, which is said to be enough to kill the entire 
population of New York City and New Jersey, combined.
  This bill is a commonsense, bipartisan approach to fix the problem.
  I would very much like to thank Chairman Brady, Chairman Reichert, 
Mr. Bishop, Mr. Pascrell, and Senator Portman for their important 
leadership on this issue, and I urge all my colleagues to support this 
vitally significant legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, we are passing numerous bills this week dealing with the 
opioid crisis. Perhaps none is as important as the STOP Act. I urge all 
of my colleagues to support this legislation.
  Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BISHOP of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Brady), the chairman of the Ways and Means 
Committee.
  Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, there aren't many today who haven't 
been touched by the opioid crisis in America. This swift and 
devastating epidemic has hit every community in America and robbed 
countless individuals of their hopes and ambitions.
  Addiction is devastating to witness and, in some cases, it only takes 
5 days for someone's son, daughter, or parent to become addicted. The 
sad truth is that, all too often, many become addicted after taking an 
opioid for a legitimate reason. This is an epidemic that has torn apart 
families and left in its path of destruction a generation of children 
without parents and parents faced with burying their kids.
  We have also seen more and more news stories of law enforcement 
agents having near-fatal encounters with just trace amounts of these 
synthetic opioids such as fentanyl. In one case, a small fleck almost 
killed a police officer in Ohio. This is a frightening reminder of how 
dangerous these substances truly are.
  The loss of so many Americans due to opioid addiction is 
unfathomable. In 2016 alone, more Americans died due to opioid 
overdoses than were lost over the entire Vietnam war.
  The scale of the crisis is immense. The loss of potential for so many 
is hard to comprehend, but House Republicans and Democrats are coming 
together in fighting with every tool in our arsenal to combat the 
opioid crisis.
  That is why today I rise in strong support of H.R. 5788, known as the 
STOP Act. This bipartisan bill addresses a serious problem that has 
helped fuel the opioid epidemic: cheap and illegal synthetic opioids 
shipped from

[[Page H5171]]

foreign nations through the international mail. From our speakers today 
you have learned about the proven techniques to stop this drug 
smuggling.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the leaders who brought this solution to 
the floor. I thank Congressman Bishop of Michigan, the author of this 
bill, for his leadership; as well as Ranking Member Pascrell of New 
Jersey; chairman of the Trade Subcommittee,  David Reichert of 
Washington; Congressman  John Faso of New York; and Senator Portman 
from Ohio for their diligent work to deliver a hard-hitting solution to 
this very serious problem.
  I am confident that this bill, shaped by Republicans and Democrats 
working together, will make a difference in the opioid crisis and help 
protect many Americans. By passing this bill, we can take meaningful 
action to help stop the flow of the illegal smuggling of opioids into 
this Nation.
  I urge my colleagues to join in supporting this bill.
  Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, I have no more speakers on my side, and I 
reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BISHOP of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the 
gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Paulsen).
  Mr. PAULSEN. Mr. Speaker, we know the opioid epidemic has, 
unfortunately, been tearing apart communities all across our entire 
country. I want to share a story in particular that is similar to the 
heartbreak and heartache we have heard from others today.
  Keegan: Keegan Duffy was 30 years old when he died in January of last 
year after an accidental overdose. He had just received his master's 
degree, had a promising career in computer science, was an avid 
outdoorsman, and volunteered a lot of his time to helping the poor.
  His addiction started like so many others. He was prescribed 120 
pills after suffering chronic back pain. After that first pill, 
unfortunately, he was hooked. Despite almost a dozen attempts to break 
free of his addiction in rehabilitation, he could never really quite do 
it. Ultimately, he died of an overdose that came from fentanyl, a 
synthetic drug made in Asia, bought online, and smuggled into the 
United States.
  Keegan's story was told to me personally by his mother. It was 
heartbreaking.
  Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a very loving tribute to Keegan 
written by his mother and father, Dave and Jean Duffy.

   Statement of Jean and Dave Duffy, Father of Keegan, June 14, 2018

       Keegan was 30 years old when he passed away Jan 3, 2017 of 
     an accidental overdose of opioids. At the time of his death, 
     he was working as a successful computer professional, having 
     just graduated from Arizona State William Carey School of 
     Business with a Masters degree in Information Systems. He had 
     a natural talent for music and loved playing guitar.
       He was an avid outdoorsman, golfer, boater, skier and 
     fisherman. He was also known for his huge heart, helping the 
     poor find resources, teaching people how to get back in 
     school, and giving free haircuts to homeless and needy.
       Most of all he was a special son and brother to his parents 
     and two beautiful sisters. He is missed by all of us every 
     single day.
       Keegan became addicted to Oxycodone after receiving 120 
     pills from a doctor for back pain, while an undergrad. He 
     said he was addicted after taking the very first pill. His 
     addiction became chronic progressive, despite his nearly 
     dozen attempts to get better in well known treatment 
     facilities, including 6 month stays.
       Keegan often said, ``I can figure everything else out in 
     life, but I can't figure out how to end my cravings.'' 
     Unfortunately, it's not something one can just figure out, as 
     we all know.
       I called the drug task force and the police to report 
     several doctors, who were encouraging him to take massive 
     amounts of this drug as well as other highly addictive drugs. 
     For some of these doctors, this resulted in the loss of their 
     license to practice.
       One of Keegan's sisters, Bridget, is in her final year of 
     Neuroscience in the U of Minnesota. She volunteers in homes 
     for addicts and also has a part time job supporting research 
     at the University, to find a vaccine to prevent opioid 
     addiction. She plans to continue her studies in medical 
     school.
       Thank you so much for remembering Keegan.
       Jean & Dave Duffy

  Mr. PAULSEN. Keegan's story is why this legislation is so important 
and how it will save other lives.
  International mail is often a very easy route that we have seen used 
for smuggling or the importation of dangerous fentanyl here into the 
United States. While private carriers have to submit advance electronic 
data for any of their data about packages that come here into the 
United States, the Postal Service has been exempt.
  So we have a loophole. That loophole is being exploited by smugglers, 
giving traffickers an easy opportunity to have fentanyl come into 
America. The STOP Act closes that loophole.
  It is supported on a bipartisan basis. It will make it harder and 
much more difficult to smuggle in fentanyl-laced drugs that not only 
murdered Keegan but, unfortunately, have inflicted pain through tragic 
deaths in other countless families across our country and so that we 
can save other American lives, Mr. Speaker.
  I thank Mr. Bishop and Mr. Pascrell for their leadership on this 
legislation. I look forward to seeing it passed later today, because we 
are finding solutions to the opioid epidemic.
  Mr. BISHOP of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the 
gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Harris).
  Mr. HARRIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5788.
  Mr. Speaker, there are many facets of opioid abuse and overdoses. We 
are going to need many pieces of legislation to deal with all of them. 
This is a particularly important piece of legislation. It deals with 
the use of the U.S. mail service to import synthetic opioids.
  As an anesthesiologist, I have used synthetic opioids for over 30 
years, especially the synthetic opioid fentanyl. After it was 
discovered, it was widely used in a very important drug, especially to 
treat our sickest patients; but now it is a killer drug, frequently 
used illegally, mixed with heroin.
  Because of its very specific pharmacologic action, it is highly 
lethal when misused. To add to that, Mr. Speaker, now there is a 
derivative called carfentanil that is 100 times more potent.
  Why is it so important that we secure our mail system?
  A grain of rice is 29 milligrams. That is the weight of a grain of 
rice. Fentanyl the size of a grain of rice will kill 29 people. That is 
how lethal it is. If it is carfentanil, it is 100 hundred times more 
potent. That grain of rice-sized piece of carfentanil will kill 2,900 
people.
  Obviously, the mail system can be used to transport these drugs. 
Because these are so highly lethal, in Maryland, half our overdose 
deaths now involve fentanyl or a derivative.
  Because these are so small, so concealable, so highly lethal, we have 
to secure all mechanisms by which these drugs can be transmitted to be 
used illegally. The mail system right now, because of loopholes that 
exist that we have heard about today, can be used to transport those 
drugs to kill our youth. They are imported from foreign countries, 
where, without any remorse, these drugs are shipped to the United 
States and result in overdose deaths here.
  Mr. Speaker, we have to pass H.R. 5788. We have to secure our mail 
system and take the scourge of these fentanyl, carfentanil, and other 
synthetic opioids off our streets where they are killing young 
Americans.
  Mr. BISHOP of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the 
gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Hill).
  Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5788, the STOP 
Act, sponsored by my good friend  Mike Bishop.
  This important piece of legislation would secure our mail system from 
fentanyl and other dangerous synthetic opioids that are flooding into 
the United States from foreign countries, namely China and Mexico.
  The opioid crisis kills more than 100 Americans each day and caused 
more than 45,000 deaths last year alone. In 2016, more Americans died 
from a drug overdose than we lost in Vietnam. A third of those deaths 
are attributable to fentanyl.
  Over the last few years, I have witnessed my kids losing their peers 
to this crisis, and it is terrifying.
  Yesterday, I spoke to the mother of Nate Gordon, a young man from my 
district, who lost his life due to a fentanyl-laced overdose. Nate's 
mother and the rest of his family are heartbroken.
  We have a responsibility to stem the tide of this crisis and prevent 
more families from suffering the tragic loss

[[Page H5172]]

of one who is loved to opioid addiction. A vital component of this 
effort is plugging the holes in our mail system and stopping illicit 
substances from entering the United States.
  So far this year, Customs and Border Patrol, working with the U.S. 
Postal Service, has seized more than 790 pounds of fentanyl. That is 
enough fentanyl to kill 179 million people. To put that in perspective, 
that is more than half our population.
  My friend Mr. Harris talked about the size of a grain of rice. How 
about 1 gram, Mr. Speaker, a Sweet'n Low packet, something that we use 
every day? It is enough to kill 500 people.
  The STOP Act is a great companion to the bill I recently introduced 
with my friend Tom Cotton that provides the U.S. Postal Service with 
more resources to screen international mail to stop these insane 
amounts of drugs coming into our country.
  I thank my friend from Michigan for his thoughtful work to implement 
this much-needed policy change. I urge my colleagues on both sides of 
the aisle to support it.

                              {time}  1300

  Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  Mr. Speaker, I plead with you and my brothers and sisters on the 
other side of the aisle. I think we are making a big step today in this 
piece of legislation. I know there are other pieces.
  I would recommend, Mr. Speaker, that we approach this deadly 
epidemic--and it is deadly--in the same way that we approached the 
epidemic at the end of the eighties and the early nineties, and that 
was the epidemic of the HIV virus. No one wanted to talk about it, Mr. 
Speaker, so people died when they could have been saved if we had had 
knowledge of prevention, if we had had knowledge of how we take care of 
those folks.
  It took us until the beginning of the nineties, until we opened up 
local clinics, until people felt less involved in a stigma. Then they 
had to come out from the shadows to protect the rest of the population, 
including themselves. Then we came together, and the Federal Government 
passed the Ryan White legislation, which has been a big help on the HIV 
virus. Then we came together.
  Unfortunately, maladies bring Americans together. Well, that is good 
that we do come together, though.
  I ask and plead that we have the same vigor in approaching opiates 
and approaching fentanyl, which is coming in from other countries. If 
we do that, we will not only survive; we will help those--and we will 
prevent many from falling into the trap. You have heard some people 
talk about that trap today, starting with painkillers and moving on to 
even more dangerous drugs.
  We are going to get through this. We are going to get through this. 
Yesterday we passed by voice vote legislation to change the protocol on 
how we approach the patients, not only in the emergency rooms of 
America, but in many departments and hospitals across the United 
States. We need to find alternatives to the very opiates that are 
making fools of us. Those alternatives shall be part of the solution, 
part of the solution to getting to the promised land, as the gentleman 
says.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Mr. Bishop. I want to thank Mr. Brady. I 
want to thank my good friend from Massachusetts, Richie Neal, and all 
of those who worked on this legislation:  David Reichert and many more. 
I congratulate our persistence in getting through a lot of hurdles.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. BISHOP of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to begin by thanking Mr. Pascrell. I would 
like to thank the staff as well for all of their hard work in this 
process.
  This is an epidemic. This is an issue that is not a Republican issue. 
This is not a Democrat issue. This is our issue. It is happening every 
day. Mr. Speaker, 115 Americans are dying each and every day due to 
opioid overdose. We are talking about mothers, fathers, children--too 
many children in our communities.
  We know the current system is failing Americans. We are allowing 
these foreign criminals and drug dealers to exploit a very obvious 
loophole in the law. That is why this bill is so important. That is why 
it is important for Members of Congress to come together and get 
something done.
  This bill sets hard deadlines that will require all packages coming 
into our country to have this actionable data that will enable the U.S. 
Customs and Border Protection to interdict and seize shipments of these 
dangerous packages and keep them off the streets, the American streets.
  In closing, I just would like to say to all those here today: I know 
that we all have a story. I want to reiterate that we all have a story, 
and we have now a moral obligation to close this obvious loophole. I 
call upon my colleagues to support this important bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Simpson). All time for debate has 
expired.
  Pursuant to House Resolution 934, the previous question is ordered on 
the bill, as amended.
  The question is on the engrossment and third reading of the bill.
  The bill was ordered to be engrossed and read a third time, and was 
read the third time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the passage of the bill.
  The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that 
the ayes appeared to have it.
  Mr. BISHOP of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and 
nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this question will be postponed.

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