[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 186 (Monday, December 16, 2024)]
[House]
[Page H7166]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              AMENDMENTS TO THE CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES ACT

  Mr. BUCSHON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (S. 223) to amend the Controlled Substances Act to fix a technical 
error in the definitions.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                 S. 223

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

     SECTION 1. AMENDMENTS TO THE CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES ACT.

        Section 102 of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 
     802) is amended--
       (1) by redesignating paragraph (58) as paragraph (59);
       (2) by redesignating the second paragraph designated as 
     paragraph (57) (relating to the definition of ``serious drug 
     felony'') as paragraph (58); and
       (3) by moving paragraphs (57), (58) (as so redesignated), 
     and (59) (as so redesignated) 2 ems to the left.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Indiana (Mr. Bucshon) and the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Castor) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Indiana.


                             General Leave

  Mr. BUCSHON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material in the Record on the bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Indiana?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. BUCSHON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 223, a bill to amend the 
Controlled Substances Act to fix a technical error in the definitions, 
led by Senators Chuck Grassley and Representative Burchett.
  In 2018, the First Step Act, or the FSA, included a redundantly 
numbered subparagraph 57, causing ``serious drug felony'' and ``serious 
violent felony'' to be misnumbered in statute.
  The misnumbering of the affected subparagraphs causes confusion in 
Federal district courts during litigation and can result in costly 
mistakes when the wrong subparagraph 57 charge is used.
  Correcting this error is important to the efficiency and accuracy of 
Federal criminal court cases. This bill rectifies this technical error 
by correctly renumbering the affected subparagraphs in the statute.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve 
the balance of my time.
  Ms. CASTOR of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak in support of S. 223, a bill that amends 
the Controlled Substances Act to fix a technical error in the 
definitions. This legislation, sponsored by Representatives Burchett 
and Cohen here in the House, would clarify the definitions of the 
different types of recidivist enhancements in the statute.
  When the First Step Act was first signed into law in 2018, it created 
two new types of recidivist enhancements: serious drug felony and 
serious violent felony.
  In the statute, however, both are numbered as paragraph 57, and this 
technical error has caused confusion between the two definitions. To 
prevent any further confusion with the interpretation of the statute, 
this bill corrects this technical error and properly numbers these 
definitions as different paragraphs.
  Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this 
legislation to prevent potential costly mistakes in Federal criminal 
court cases, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. BUCSHON. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I encourage a ``yes'' vote on 
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 Indiana (Mr. Bucshon) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, S. 223.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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