```

[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 10459 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                               H. R. 10459

  To establish the Joint Task Force to Counter the Illicit Synthetic 
                               Narcotics.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           December 17, 2024

 Mr. Newhouse (for himself, Mr. Auchincloss, Mr. Dunn of Florida, Mr. 
   Khanna, Mr. Johnson of South Dakota, Mr. Torres of New York, Mrs. 
Steel, Mr. Moolenaar, and Mr. Krishnamoorthi) introduced the following 
  bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in 
addition to the Committees on Financial Services, Foreign Affairs, and 
   Intelligence (Permanent Select), for a period to be subsequently 
   determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 
 provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
  To establish the Joint Task Force to Counter the Illicit Synthetic 
                               Narcotics.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Joint Task Force to Counter Illicit 
Synthetic Narcotics Act of 2024''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) The United States is experiencing a crisis of substance 
        abuse and addiction resulting in the deaths of hundreds of 
        thousands of Americans. Most of these deaths involve some form 
        of opioids.
            (2) There are many elements of Federal, State, territorial, 
        Tribal, and local governments working to combat the opioid 
        epidemic.
            (3) No central entity exists at the appropriate level 
        whereby different agencies can share information and coordinate 
        efforts to combat the opioid crisis.

SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF JOINT TASK FORCE TO COUNTER ILLICIT SYNTHETIC 
              NARCOTICS.

    (a) In General.--There is established a Joint Task Force to Counter 
Illicit Synthetic Narcotics (hereby referred to as ``JTF-ISN'').
    (b) Membership.--The JTF-ISN shall include representation from each 
of the following entities:
            (1) The Department of Justice including the--
                    (A) Drug Enforcement Administration;
                    (B) Federal Bureau of Investigation; and
                    (C) Assistant U.S. Attorneys and Trial Attorneys, 
                as the Director deems appropriate.
            (2) The Department of the Treasury including the--
                    (A) Counter-Fentanyl Strike Force;
                    (B) Internal Revenue Service Criminal 
                Investigation;
                    (C) Financial Crimes Enforcement Network;
                    (D) Office of Foreign Assets Control; and
                    (E) Office of Intelligence and Analysis.
            (3) The Department of Homeland Security including--
                    (A) Homeland Security Investigations;
                    (B) U.S. Customs and Border Protection including 
                the National Targeting Center;
                    (C) Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE); and
                    (D) the United States Coast Guard.
            (4) The Department of State.
            (5) The Department of Commerce.
            (6) The Department of Defense.
            (7) The Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
            (8) Any other agency the Director deems appropriate 
        (collectively the ``JTF-ISN Members'').
    (c) Director of Joint Task Force to Illicit Synthetic Narcotics.--
            (1) The JTF-ISN shall be led by a Director who shall be 
        appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent 
        of the Senate.
            (2) The Director shall report directly to the Attorney 
        General.
            (4) The Director shall be compensated at the rate of basic 
        pay prescribed for level II of the Executive Schedule under 
        section 5313 of title 5, United States Code.
    (d) Reporting.--
            (1) The Director of the JTF-ISN shall report to the 
        Attorney General on matters related to the budget, programs, 
        and activities of the JTF-ISN, and to the President on the 
        planning and progress of joint counter-illicit synthetic 
        narcotics operations.
            (2) The Director shall submit a report, and upon request of 
        the chairman or ranking member of any such committee, a 
        briefing to the Committee on the Judiciary and the Committee on 
        Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and the 
        Committee on the Judiciary and the Committee on Homeland 
        Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate--
                    (A) not later than 6 months after the date of the 
                enactment of this Act; and
                    (B) every 6 months thereafter.
            (3) Each report and requested briefing shall include--
                    (A) a comprehensive plan covering the 2-year period 
                after submission of the report--
                            (i) a description of the goals of the JTF-
                        ISN;
                            (ii) description of areas of improvement 
                        with respect to collaboration among the 
                        participating agencies; and
                            (iii) an estimate of the funding and staff 
                        needed for the continued work of the JTF-ISN;
                    (B) a statement of the budget priorities of the 
                JTF-ISN for each year in that period;
                    (C) a description of the efforts of the JTF-ISN to 
                investigate and prosecute illicit synthetic narcotics 
                trafficking crimes, including raids conducted, assets 
                seized, assets forfeited and indictments brought and 
                convictions; and
                    (D) efforts of the JTF-ISN to address matters 
                related to the role of the People's Republic of China 
                in the opioids crisis.

SEC. 4. PRIMARY MISSIONS OF JTF-ISN.

    The primary mission of the JTF-ISN shall be to direct counter 
opioid and synthetic narcotics activities, including disruption 
activities and associated investigations, and provide strategic 
coordination on related activities, including but not limited to 
sanctions enforcement, conducting joint operations, raids, and other 
tactical actions in coordination with Federal, State, territorial, 
Tribal, and local law enforcement agencies through memorandums of 
understanding. This support includes legal actions against traffickers 
and foreign entities, particularly in the People's Republic of China, 
complicit in the opioid trade.

SEC. 5. AUTHORITY AND LIMITATIONS.

    (a) Authority.--The JTF-ISN shall be vested with power and 
authority to--
            (1) investigate and prosecute violations of Federal law 
        relating to the trafficking of illicit synthetic narcotics; 
        related offenses, such as money laundering and other financial 
        crimes, smuggling, and false statements; as well as any matters 
        that arise or might arise directly from its investigations;
            (2) in the case of a prosecution relating to non-U.S. 
        persons outside of the United States, the JTF-ISN shall bring 
        the case either in the district where the crime was committed 
        or in the district where the Drug Enforcement Administration is 
        located;
            (3) facilitate the sharing of information between JTF-ISN 
        Members in a timely manner;
            (4) establish protocols for interagency referrals and 
        procedures for referring cases to prosecuting and sanctions 
        designating authorities as appropriate;
            (5) develop strategies to address the role of the People's 
        Republic of China in the illicit synthetic narcotics crisis;
            (6) work cooperatively with State, territorial, Tribal, and 
        local law enforcement agencies to combat and prosecute 
        trafficking of illicit synthetic narcotics;
            (7) assess and improve existing methods of investigating 
        and prosecuting illicit synthetic narcotics trafficking crimes; 
        and
            (8) conduct direct operational activities, including joint 
        operations, raids, and other tactical actions, to disrupt 
        illicit synthetic narcotics trafficking networks and bring 
        offenders to justice.
    (b) Limitation.--The Director of the JTF-ISN may not direct the 
execution of operational activities outside the scope of counter-opioid 
efforts related to illicit synthetic narcotics suppliers and their 
networks pursuant to the primary missions of the JTF-ISN.

SEC. 6. RESOLUTION OF DISPUTES.

    The Attorney General shall resolve disagreements between the JTF-
ISN and the head of a department, agency, or element of the United 
States Government on designations, assignments, plans, or 
responsibilities under this section. The head of such a department, 
agency, or element may appeal the resolution of the disagreement by the 
Attorney General to the President.

SEC. 7. INTERNAL STRUCTURE OF JTF-ISN.

    (a) Intelligence Coordination.--The Director of the JTF-ISN shall 
establish and maintain within the JTF-ISN an intelligence coordination 
element which shall have primary responsibility within the United 
States Government for analysis of illicit synthetic narcotics and 
related trafficking organizations from all sources of intelligence, 
whether collected inside or outside the United States.
    (b) Strategic Operational Planning.--The Director of the JTF-ISN 
shall establish and maintain within the JTF-ISN a strategic operational 
planning element which shall provide strategic operational plans for 
counter-opioid operations conducted by the United States Government.
            (1) Strategic operational planning shall include the 
        mission, objectives to be achieved, tasks to be performed, 
        interagency coordination of operational activities, and the 
        assignment of roles and responsibilities.
            (2) The Director of the JTF-ISN shall monitor the 
        implementation of strategic operational plans and shall obtain 
        information from each element of the intelligence community, 
        and from each other department, agency, or element of the 
        United States Government relevant for monitoring the progress 
        of such entity in implementing such plans.
    (c) Office of General Counsel.--The Director of the JTF-CO shall 
establish and maintain within the JTF-ISN an Office of General Counsel 
which shall provide legal advice in support of the JTF-ISN and its 
directorates.
    (d) Office of Congressional Coordination.--The Director of the JTF-
ISN shall establish and maintain within the JTF-ISN an Office of 
Congressional Coordination which shall coordinate communications of the 
JFT-ISN with Congress and ensure compliance with reporting and briefing 
obligations under this Act.

SEC. 8. RETENTION OF EXISTING AUTHORITIES.

    Each of the individual JTF-ISN Members maintain their existing 
authorities to investigate and prosecute trafficking crimes relating to 
illicit synthetic narcotics.

SEC. 9. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act, the term ``illicit synthetic narcotics'' means--
            (1) ``controlled substances,'' as defined in section 802(6) 
        of title 21, United States Code, with the exception of--
                    (A) substances of natural origins; or
                    (B) medications that are lawful under the laws of 
                the United States and the Drug Enforcement 
                Administration has provided an import permit to the 
                importing organization for the import of said 
                medication;
            (2) ``listed chemicals,'' as defined in section 802 of 
        title 21, United States Code; and
            (3) active pharmaceutical ingredients or chemicals that are 
        used in the production of controlled substances described in 
        paragraphs (1) and (2).

SEC. 10. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.

    Nothing in this Act shall be construed to authorize the Joint Task 
Force to Counter Illicit Synthetic Narcotics to investigate, target, or 
prosecute individuals for personal drug use or to pursue enforcement 
actions against low-level drug dealing that does not involve 
significant connections to larger trafficking networks. The activities 
of the Joint Task Force shall focus exclusively on addressing the 
international trafficking of illicit synthetic narcotics and their 
associated networks, particularly those involving significant threats 
to public health, national security, and the economy.
                                 <all>
```