[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 196 (Wednesday, November 18, 2020)]
[House]
[Pages H5893-H5895]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




FIGHTING EMERGING NARCOTICS THROUGH ADDITIONAL NATIONS TO YIELD LASTING 
                              RESULTS ACT

  Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(H.R. 7990) to prioritize efforts of the Department of State to combat 
international trafficking in covered synthetic drugs and new 
psychoactive substances, and for other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 7990

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

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Fighting Emerging Narcotics 
     Through Additional Nations to Yield Lasting Results Act'' or 
     the ``FENTANYL Results Act''.

     SEC. 2. PRIORITIZATION OF EFFORTS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE 
                   TO COMBAT INTERNATIONAL TRAFFICKING IN COVERED 
                   SYNTHETIC DRUGS.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary of State shall prioritize 
     efforts of the Department of State to combat international 
     trafficking in covered synthetic drugs by carrying out 
     programs and activities to include the following:
       (1) Supporting increased data collection by the United 
     States and foreign countries through increased drug use 
     surveys among populations, increased use of wastewater 
     testing where appropriate, and multilateral sharing of that 
     data.
       (2) Engaging in increased consultation and partnership with 
     international drug agencies, including the European 
     Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, and 
     regulatory agencies in foreign countries.
       (3) Carrying out the program to provide assistance to build 
     the capacity of foreign law enforcement agencies with respect 
     to covered synthetic drugs, as required by section 3.
       (4) Carrying out exchange programs for governmental and 
     nongovernmental personnel in the United States and in foreign 
     countries to provide educational and professional development 
     on demand reduction matters relating to the illicit use of 
     narcotics and other drugs, as required by section 4.
       (b) Report.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than one year after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall 
     submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report 
     on the implementation of this section.
       (2) Appropriate congressional committees defined.--In this 
     subsection, the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' 
     means--
       (A) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on 
     Appropriations of the House of Representatives; and
       (B) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on 
     Appropriations of the Senate.

     SEC. 3. PROGRAM TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO BUILD THE CAPACITY 
                   OF FOREIGN LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES WITH 
                   RESPECT TO COVERED SYNTHETIC DRUGS.

       (a) In General.--Notwithstanding section 660 of the Foreign 
     Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2420), the Secretary of 
     State shall establish a program to provide assistance to 
     build the capacity of law enforcement agencies of the 
     countries described in subsection (c) to help such agencies 
     to identify, track,

[[Page H5894]]

     and improve their forensics detection capabilities with 
     respect to covered synthetic drugs.
       (b) Priority.--The Secretary of State shall prioritize 
     assistance under subsection (a) among those countries 
     described in subsection (c) in which such assistance would 
     have the most impact in reducing illicit use of covered 
     synthetic drugs in the United States.
       (c) Countries Described.--The foreign countries described 
     in this subsection are--
       (1) countries that are producers of covered synthetic 
     drugs;
       (2) countries whose pharmaceutical and chemical industries 
     are being exploited for development or procurement of 
     precursors of covered synthetic drugs; or
       (3) major drug-transit countries as defined by the 
     President.
       (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized 
     to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section 
     $4,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2021 through 2025.

     SEC. 4. EXCHANGE PROGRAM FOR GOVERNMENTAL AND NONGOVERNMENTAL 
                   PERSONNEL TO PROVIDE EDUCATIONAL AND 
                   PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ON DEMAND REDUCTION 
                   MATTERS RELATING TO ILLICIT USE OF NARCOTICS 
                   AND OTHER DRUGS.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary of State shall carry out an 
     exchange program for governmental and nongovernmental 
     personnel in the United States and foreign countries to 
     provide educational and professional development on demand 
     reduction matters relating to the illicit use of narcotics 
     and other drugs.
       (b) Program Requirements.--The program required by 
     subsection (a)--
       (1) shall be limited to individuals who have expertise and 
     experience in matters described in subsection (a);
       (2) in the case of inbound exchanges, may be carried out as 
     part of exchange programs and international visitor programs 
     administered by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural 
     Affairs of the Department of State, including the 
     International Visitor Leadership Program; and
       (3) shall include outbound exchanges for governmental and 
     nongovernmental personnel in the United States.
       (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--Of the amounts 
     authorized to be appropriated to carry out exchange programs 
     and international visitor programs administered by the Bureau 
     of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the Department of 
     State for each of the fiscal years 2021 through 2025, there 
     is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry 
     out this section $1,000,000 for each such fiscal year.

     SEC. 5. AMENDMENTS TO INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS CONTROL 
                   PROGRAM.

       (a) International Narcotics Control Strategy Report.--
     Section 489(a) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 
     U.S.C. 2291h(a)) is amended by adding at the end the 
     following:
       ``(10) Synthetic opioids and new psychoactive substances.--
       ``(A) Synthetic opioids.--Information that contains an 
     assessment of the countries significantly involved in the 
     manufacture, production, or transshipment of synthetic 
     opioids, including fentanyl and fentanyl analogues, to 
     include the following:
       ``(i) The scale of legal domestic production and any 
     available information on the number of manufacturers and 
     producers of such opioids in such countries.
       ``(ii) Information on any law enforcement assessments of 
     the scale of illegal production, including a description of 
     the capacity of illegal laboratories to produce such opioids.
       ``(iii) The types of inputs used and a description of the 
     primary methods of synthesis employed by illegal producers of 
     such opioids.
       ``(iv) An assessment of the policies of such countries to 
     regulate licit manufacture and interdict illicit manufacture, 
     diversion, distribution, and shipment of such opioids and an 
     assessment of the effectiveness of the policies' 
     implementation.
       ``(B) New psychoactive substances.--Information on the 
     policies of responding to new psychoactive substances (as 
     such term is defined in section 7 of the FENTANYL Results 
     Act), to include the following:
       ``(i) Which governments have articulated policies on 
     scheduling of such substances.
       ``(ii) Any data on impacts of such policies and other 
     responses to such substances.
       ``(iii) An assessment of what policies the United States 
     may want to consider articulating.''.
       (b) Definition of Major Illicit Drug Producing Country.--
     Section 481(e) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 
     U.S.C. 2291(e)) is amended--
       (1) in paragraph (2)--
       (A) by striking ``means a country in which--'' and 
     inserting ``means--
       ``(A) a country in which--'';
       (B) by striking ``(A) 1,000'' and inserting the following:
       ``(i) 1,000'';
       (C) by striking ``(B) 1,000'' and inserting the following:
       ``(ii) 1,000'';
       (D) by striking ``(C) 5,000'' and inserting the following:
       ``(iii) 5,000'';
       (E) in subparagraph (A)(iii), as redesignated by this 
     subsection, by adding ``or'' at the end; and
       (F) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(B) a country which is a significant direct source of 
     illicit narcotic or psychotropic drugs or other controlled 
     substances significantly affecting the United States.''; and
       (2) in paragraph (5) to read as follows:
       ``(5) the term `major drug-transit country' means a country 
     through which illicit narcotic or psychotropic drugs or other 
     controlled substances significantly affecting the United 
     States are transported.''.

     SEC. 6. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

       It is the sense of Congress that--
       (1) the President should direct the United States 
     Representative to the United Nations to use the voice and 
     vote of the United States at the United Nations to advocate 
     for more transparent assessments of countries by the 
     International Narcotics Control Board; and
       (2) bilateral, plurilateral, and multilateral international 
     cooperation is essential to combating the trafficking of 
     covered synthetic drugs.

     SEC. 7. DEFINITION.

       In this Act:
       (1) The term ``covered synthetic drug'' means--
       (A) a synthetic controlled substance (as defined in section 
     102(6) of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 802(6))), 
     including fentanyl or a fentanyl analogue; or
       (B) a new psychoactive substance.
       (2) The term ``new psychoactive substance'' means a 
     substance of abuse, or any preparation thereof, that--
       (A) is not--
       (i) included in any schedule as a controlled substance 
     under the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 801 et seq.); 
     or
       (ii) controlled by the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs 
     signed at New York, New York, on March 30, 1961 or the 
     Convention on Psychotropic Substances signed at Vienna, 
     Austria, on February 21, 1971;
       (B) is new or has reemerged on the illicit market; and
       (C) poses a threat to the public health and safety.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Engel) and the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Yoho) each will 
control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York.


                             General Leave

  Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material on H.R. 7990, as amended.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New York?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, far too many Americans have witnessed firsthand the 
devastating effects of drug abuse. According to the Centers for Disease 
Control, our country saw the largest increase in overdose deaths from 
2018 to 2019. That is why this bill comes before us at a critical time, 
and I thank the author, Mr. Trone, for his leadership and hard work on 
this bill and on the entire subject.
  Fentanyl is one of the most dangerous synthetic opioids contributing 
to the opioid crisis, and since it is largely manufactured outside of 
the United States, it is critical that we engage closely with our 
international partners to combat this scourge.
  The FENTANYL Results Act requires the State Department to update its 
approach to illegal synthetic drugs. This bill opens strong channels of 
communications with foreign drug enforcement agencies, trains countries 
on how to combat synthetic drug production, and promotes exchange 
programs for renowned experts who can share their findings around the 
world.
  With such an imposing task ahead of us, international cooperation is 
critical. It is not enough to tackle this issue domestically; we also 
must work together with our partners around the world to stop the 
transit of these illicit substances.
  I was pleased that the House Foreign Affairs Committee passed this 
bill unanimously, and I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting its 
passage in the House today.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. YOHO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the FENTANYL Results Act.
  The opioid crisis continues to have a devastating effect on Americans 
across this great Nation. It is imperative we use all the tools at our 
disposal to fully address this problem.
  The FENTANYL Results Act ensures that we leverage the role of the 
State Department in this whole-of-government effort. Specifically, this 
bill requires the Secretary of State to

[[Page H5895]]

prioritize efforts to combat international trafficking in synthetic 
drugs and new psychoactive substances.
  A key provision of this bill authorizes the Secretary to provide 
assistance to foreign law enforcement agencies, including those in 
drug-transit countries, to stem the illicit flow of fentanyl and other 
synthetic drugs across our borders.
  This bill requires the Secretary to foster greater partnerships with 
international drug agencies and increase data collection to keep pace 
with emerging synthetic drug use that could be exploited by the 
international trafficking networks.
  It also addresses the demand side of this problem by authorizing an 
action change program to provide educational and professional 
development on demand reduction matters.
  This bill is an important measure to continue our aggressive fight 
against this deadly fentanyl epidemic, and I urge my colleagues to 
support this legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

                              {time}  1330

  Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from 
Maryland (Mr. Trone), the author of this important bill, and a valued 
member of the Foreign Affairs Committee.
  Mr. TRONE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to support 
my bill, the FENTANYL Results Act, that will help increase global 
cooperation in the fight against synthetic drug trafficking.
  My nephew, Ian Trone, died 4 years ago of a fentanyl overdose at the 
age of 24, and since his passing, we have seen a dramatic and alarming 
increase in fentanyl and other synthetic opioid deaths across our 
country.
  In 2019, there were nearly 71,000 overdose deaths in the United 
States, the highest number ever recorded. Most disturbingly, this 
number reversed the promising decrease in deaths we saw in 2018.
  Why did we see a spike last year? Because fentanyl is showing up in 
more and more parts of the United States.
  Mixed in with heroin, meth, and cocaine, fentanyl is causing more 
accidental overdoses and more deaths.
  We know that fentanyl is 50 to 100 times stronger than morphine.
  Some synthetics, like carfentanil, are even deadlier, some 10,000 
times stronger than morphine.
  In 2018, two-thirds of all opioid-related deaths involved synthetic 
opioids.
  This rise in opioid deaths is especially alarming because of the 
significant impact we know the COVID pandemic has had on the opioid 
epidemic.
  In Maryland, fentanyl was involved in 93 percent of all opioid-
related deaths for the first 6 months of 2020, and fentanyl-involved 
deaths were up 12 percent in the second quarter compared to the same 
time last year.
  We need to act now if we are going to put an end to these senseless 
deaths. We cannot do it alone.
  The FENTANYL Results Act instructs the Secretary of State to:
  Support increased data collection by the U.S. and other countries on 
drug use and make sure we share that data,
  Increase consultation with international drug agencies and foreign 
regulatory agencies,
  Implement technical assistance programs to build partner capacity in 
forensic detection capabilities,
  And run international exchange programs among demand reduction 
experts and scientists.
  The U.S. can't fight its way out of this alone. We need to work 
together on demand reduction at home, and we are doing that with 
stronger prevention, treatment, and recovery programs.
  But we need to cooperate with international partners to stem the flow 
of synthetic opioids into the United States.
  This means working with them to detect fentanyl and its precursors 
before these drugs leave the borders.
  This means establishing best practices to reduce demand globally, so 
we have less of a market for these illicit substances.
  This means recognizing that greater cooperation serves us all. It is 
in no country's interest to fuel the opioid epidemic.
  I thank Ranking Member McCaul for coleading this bipartisan bill with 
me. Ranking Member McCaul has been a champion on this bipartisan issue 
long before I came to Congress, and I look forward to continuing our 
relationship.
  I also thank Chairman Engel for helping move the bill through the 
Foreign Affairs Committee and making sure we take every possible step 
to end the flow of fentanyl and other synthetic drugs in the United 
States. We will miss your leadership here in Congress next year, and we 
know your service has a long way to go in the future.
  We need to tackle the opioid epidemic from every angle, and that 
includes working with our international partners to curb drug 
trafficking and save lives. This bill helps us do this. I urge a 
``yes'' vote.
  Mr. YOHO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  In closing, I want to thank Representative Trone for his work on this 
issue.
  We all know someone, unfortunately, who has suffered from addiction. 
We must remain committed to defeating substance abuse and saving 
American lives. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
  I, too, would like to thank Chairman Engel for his years of 
dedication and service to the State of New York and to this Nation and 
his friendship. It has been an honor to work with you, sir. It has been 
an honor to know you, and I wish the best of life to you and Pat in the 
future.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  I thank the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Yoho) for his kind words. I 
really appreciate it.
  I, again, thank Mr. Trone for being a great champion on this issue 
and for his kind words.
  This is the kind of cooperation we have on the Foreign Affairs 
Committee, and I really have been honored to preside over it and to 
have been on the committee for so many years. These are important 
issues that affect real people. The Foreign Affairs Committee has 
always been at the forefront of these issues because of the gentlemen 
and women that you just heard. We call ourselves the most bipartisan 
committee, and I think it is true.
  I, again, thank Mr. Trone for being a great champion on this issue, 
and, Mr. Yoho, thank you.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge all our colleagues to support this bill, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 7990, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________