BUST FENTANYL Act
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
IntroducedReported by Mr. Risch, without amendment
Mr. Risch (for himself, Mrs. Shaheen, Mr. Hagerty, and Mr. …
Mr. Risch (for himself and Mrs. Shaheen) introduced the following …
Summary
What This Bill Does
The BUST FENTANYL Act targets the flow of fentanyl and methamphetamine into the United States by expanding sanctions authority against foreign actors involved in drug trafficking, with a particular focus on China. The bill requires detailed reports on China's role in the opioid crisis, mandates prioritization of Chinese entities in sanctions lists, and authorizes the President to impose sanctions on foreign government agencies and state-owned banks that facilitate opioid trafficking.
Who Benefits and How
- U.S. Law Enforcement Agencies (DEA, FBI) gain expanded tools and reporting requirements that increase their mandate and resources for tracking international drug networks
- State Department and Treasury Department receive expanded authority to impose sanctions and gather intelligence on foreign drug trafficking operations
- Sanctions Compliance Firms benefit from increased demand for services as more entities face potential sanctions
- U.S. Pharmaceutical Manufacturers may benefit indirectly from reduced illegal competition as foreign fentanyl producers face stricter penalties
- Congressional Oversight Committees receive comprehensive reports on China's role in fentanyl trafficking and international cooperation efforts
Who Bears the Burden and How
- Chinese Pharmaceutical and Chemical Companies face heightened sanctions risk and increased scrutiny for any involvement in producing or exporting fentanyl precursors, pre-precursors, or manufacturing equipment to Mexico
- Chinese Financial Institutions risk sanctions if they process transactions related to narcotics money laundering or provide services to trafficking organizations
- State-Owned Banks in China and Other Countries can be sanctioned if they facilitate significant opioid trafficking activities, potentially losing access to U.S. financial systems
- Senior Foreign Officials in governments supporting opioid trafficking face personal sanctions including visa restrictions
- Mexican and Indian Chemical Manufacturers producing precursor chemicals face increased reporting requirements and potential sanctions
- U.S. Government Agencies (State Department, DOJ) must produce comprehensive reports within 180 days and annually, requiring significant research and diplomatic resources
Key Provisions
- Extends mandatory prioritization of Chinese persons in fentanyl sanctions reporting until December 31, 2030, or until China is no longer the primary source of fentanyl precursors to Mexico
- Authorizes the President to sanction foreign government agencies, political subdivisions, and state-owned financial institutions that engage in or support opioid trafficking, as well as senior officials who facilitate such activities
- Expands the Fentanyl Sanctions Act to cover anyone who receives proceeds from opioid trafficking, provides material or financial support to traffickers, or is owned/controlled by sanctioned entities
- Requires Secretary of State and Attorney General to submit a comprehensive report within 180 days assessing China's cooperation in combating fentanyl trafficking, the role of PRC financial institutions in money laundering, and the effectiveness of multilateral efforts like the Global Coalition to Address Synthetic Drug Threats
- Changes the deadline for the annual International Narcotics Control Strategy Report from March 1 to June 1 and modifies methamphetamine reporting to identify source countries and describe their governmental anti-trafficking efforts
Evidence Chain:
This summary is derived from the structured analysis below. See "Detailed Analysis" for per-title beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
Primary Purpose
Combat fentanyl trafficking into the United States by expanding sanctions authority, requiring reports on China's role in the opioid crisis, and mandating studies on methamphetamine production
Policy Domains
Legislative Strategy
"Strengthen U.S. government authority to sanction foreign entities involved in fentanyl trafficking, with particular focus on China, while expanding reporting requirements to track international cooperation and precursor chemical supply chains"
Likely Beneficiaries
- Law enforcement agencies (DEA, FBI)
- State Department and diplomatic corps
- Treasury Department (sanctions enforcement)
- Congressional oversight committees
- U.S. pharmaceutical manufacturers (through reduced illegal competition)
- Banking compliance firms (increased sanctions work)
Likely Burden Bearers
- Chinese pharmaceutical companies and chemical manufacturers
- Chinese financial institutions and money transfer services
- Foreign government agencies facilitating opioid trafficking
- Mexican cartels and their supply chains
- Indian chemical precursor manufacturers
- Pharmaceutical companies in countries identified as fentanyl sources
- Senior officials of foreign agencies involved in trafficking
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "the_report"
- → Annual International Narcotics Control Strategy Report required by Foreign Assistance Act of 1961
- "the_dea"
- → Drug Enforcement Administration
- "the_prc"
- → People's Republic of China
- "the_secretary"
- → Secretary of State
- "the_attorney_general"
- → Attorney General
- "appropriate_committees"
- → Senate Judiciary, Senate Foreign Relations, House Judiciary, House Foreign Affairs committees
- "the_president"
- → President of the United States
- "appropriate_congressional_committees"
- → Relevant congressional oversight committees
- "the_president"
- → President of the United States
- "the_president"
- → President of the United States
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
Has the meaning given in section 7203 of the Fentanyl Sanctions Act (21 U.S.C. 2302)
The Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate; the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate; the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives; and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives
Drug Enforcement Administration
People's Republic of China
An individual who is a citizen or national of the People's Republic of China; or an entity organized under the laws of the People's Republic of China or otherwise subject to the jurisdiction of the Government of the People's Republic of China
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology