HEADED TO THE PRESIDENT’S DESK: Senator Hassan’s Bipartisan Bill to Crack Down on Fentanyl Trafficking

WASHINGTON – The House passed the bipartisan END FENTANYL Act, which U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Senator Rick Scott (R-FL), and their colleagues introduced to crack down on fentanyl trafficking at the border, and it is now headed to President Biden to be signed into law. This bill requires the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to update its policies at least once every three years to ensure that its guidance to stop and interdict drugs is up to date. This bill builds off the 2019 GAO report, “Land Ports of Entry: CBP Should Update Policies and Enhance Analysis of Inspections,” that found drug interdiction guidance has not been updated in 20 years.

“I am glad to see this commonsense, bipartisan bill headed to the President’s desk to be signed into law,” said Senator Hassan. “This will help law enforcement stay ahead of the changing tactics of drug traffickers and better stem the flow of fentanyl across the border and on to New Hampshire, where it has devastated communities and families. This bill is an important step forward and I will continue working to combat the fentanyl crisis.”

This legislation is part of Senator Hassan’s ongoing efforts to strengthen border security and target fentanyl trafficking. Last year she visited Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras as part of a bipartisan Congressional Delegation trip where she spoke with foreign officials about economic and public safety priorities – in particular the need to crack down on fentanyl and other drug trafficking. To address the needs that she has heard on this trip and in other briefings and hearings, she has worked to increase funding for border security. She also visited China last year as part of another bipartisan Congressional Delegation visit, where she and a bipartisan group of her colleagues pushed for further action to combat fentanyl trafficking and trafficking of the precursor chemicals used to make fentanyl. Senator Hassan also worked with her colleagues to pass into law the bipartisan INTERDICT Act, which has provided Customs and Border Protection with additional tools to help detect and intercept fentanyl and other illegal synthetic opioids. 

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