Rep. Jenkins Helps Introduce Stop Fentanyl Deaths Act

Statement

U.S. Representative Evan Jenkins (R-W.Va.) has helped introduce bipartisan legislation, the STOP (Surveillance and Testing of Opioids to Prevent) Fentanyl Deaths Act.

This bill is scheduled to be voted out of the House Energy & Commerce Committee's Health Subcommittee on Wednesday, along with Rep. Jenkins' Protecting NAS Babies Act.

"Just last week in my hometown of Huntington, a coordinated drug takedown seized enough doses of fentanyl to kill 250,000 people. Illicit fentanyl remains a critical health and public safety threat, which is why we are introducing the STOP Fentanyl Deaths Act. This important legislation will improve our ability to test and respond to fentanyl trafficking and overdoses so we can continue to take this deadly drug off our streets," Rep. Jenkins said.

The STOP Fentanyl Deaths Act would create grant funding to assist states and municipalities in identifying fentanyl in both fatal and nonfatal drug overdoses.

The legislation would also create a pilot program allowing states to develop unique "point of use" drug testing programs. Across the United States, synthetic opioid deaths doubled between 2015 and 2016, with 19,000 Americans dying from synthetic opioids, including fentanyl.

In addition to Rep. Jenkins, the bill is sponsored by Reps. Annie Kuster (D-N.H.), Tom MacArthur (R-N.J.), and Donald Norcross (D-N.J.), all of whom are members of the Bipartisan Heroin Task Force.

Source