PULSE POINTS:
❓What Happened: New legislation was introduced in both the House and Senate to allow charging fentanyl dealers with felony murder if their distribution results in death.
👥 Who’s Involved: The bill was introduced by Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Representative Tony Gonzales (R-TX).
📍 Where & When: The bill was unveiled on Tuesday, marking National Fentanyl Awareness Day, and will proceed to committees for markup and consideration in both chambers.
💬 Key Quote: “If you sell the drug and take an innocent life, justice will be delivered,” said Representative Tony Gonzales.
⚠️ Impact: The legislation aims to increase penalties for fentanyl dealers, with the crisis having claimed approximately 280,000 American lives since 2021.
IN FULL:
New legislation seeks to hold fentanyl dealers accountable for the dangerous drug they peddle by allowing them to be charged with felony murder if their distribution results in death. Introduced simultaneously in the House and Senate, the proposed law aims to increase the severity of punishment for those involved in fentanyl trafficking. Under existing U.S. law, such offenses currently carry a minimum 20-year prison sentence but are not prosecuted as murder cases.
The bill, titled the Felony Murder for Deadly Fentanyl Distribution Act, is being sponsored by Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Representative Tony Gonzales (R-TX). This legislative measure coincides with National Fentanyl Awareness Day and now heads to committees in both chambers for further consideration before moving to the House and Senate floors.
According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA), fentanyl has resulted in the deaths of about 280,000 Americans since 2021. The rising fentanyl crisis has been linked to increased illicit drug trafficking across U.S. borders. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reports that around 64,000 pounds of fentanyl, which is enough to lethally dose billions of people, have been confiscated at the southern border.
“If you sell the drug and take an innocent life, justice will be delivered,” Rep. Gonzales said regarding the sentencing changes made by the legislation.