Sunshine Sentinel

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On June 22, 2023, Senator Rick Scott’s bipartisan legislation, the Eradicating Narcotic Drugs and Formulating Effective New Tools to Address National Yearly Losses of Life (END FENTANYL) Act, unanimously passed the Senate and heads to the House of Representatives where Congressmen Michael Guest and David Trone have introduced the companion legislation. The END FENTANYL Act would require the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to update its policies at least once every three years to ensure operational field manuals, including their drug interdiction guidance, is up to date. This legislation is cosponsored by Senators Mike Braun, Maggie Hassan, Dianne Feinstein, Jacky Rosen and Mark Kelly.

Senator Rick Scott said, “For too long, the fentanyl crisis has plagued our communities and caused crushing heartbreak to those who lose loved ones to these dangerous drugs. As fentanyl continues to flow illegally into U.S. over the southern border and kill tens of thousands of our citizens, we must do more to support our brave CBP agents, and all who are on the front lines of this battle to ensure they have every tool needed to keep these dangerous drugs out of our communities. This is a big win in our fight against the lethal opioid epidemic, but it is not the end. I am thankful for my colleagues in the Senate voting for its passage, and I’ll be fighting to get this important bill to the president’s desk and signed into law.” 

The END FENTANYL Act:

·        Requires the Commissioner of CBP to review and update the Office of Field Operations’ policies and handbooks, as necessary and at least once every three years in order to respond to illegal activity, such as the trafficking of drugs and humans, along the border.

·        Requires the Commissioner of CBP to submit a report to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives that summarizes the policy and manual changes every three years.

Original source can be found here.