Observing the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on Thursday, June 26, Rep. Josh Harder (CA-09) announced two bipartisan bills to crack down on fentanyl drug dealers and expand overdose training for first responders. The Disrupt Fentanyl Pill Production Act, led with Rep. Dan Crenshaw (TX-02), helps local law enforcement track down drug dealers manufacturing counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl, and the Safer Response Act, led with Rep. Mike Lawler (NY-17), funds a grant training program to expand overdose training to local first responders.
Valley communities are on the front lines of the drug epidemic, noted Congressman Harder.
Counterfeit pills disguised to look like Adderall, Xanax, and Percocet are incredibly deceptive and difficult to tell apart from doctor-prescribed medication.
Nearly 200,000 fentanyl-laced pills have been seized in the Valley since September, which is enough to kill 26 million people.
More than 10,000 Californians have died from overdoses between 2023 and 2024, and a new report projects that U.S. drug overdose deaths are on the rise again.
“This is about stopping criminals who are poisoning our families,” said Harder. “Fentanyl is flooding into our communities and we have to do something about it. These bipartisan bills give law enforcement the tools they need to crack down on traffickers and make sure more people are trained to save lives when every second counts. This is life or death – we need to pass these bills.”
Stopping drug dealers with the Disrupt Fentanyl Pill Production Act would provide for:
Tracking down dealers by requiring traceable serial numbers on all machines used to mass-produce counterfeit pills.
Tougher penalties for dealers caught with pill press machines.
Better coordination between local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies.
Preventing overdose deaths with the Safer Response Act offers:
New training for local first responders to address and reverse overdoses.
Outreach coordination teams to bridge gaps between public and private medical and emergency response partnerships.
