II 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 4491 

To designate methamphetamine as an emerging threat, and for other 

purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

AUGUST 6, 2020 

Mrs. FEINSTEIN (for herself and Mr. GRASSLEY) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

A BILL 

To designate methamphetamine as an emerging threat, and 

for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Methamphetamine Re5 sponse Act of 2020’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds the following: 

8 (1) Methamphetamine poses a significant public 

9 health and safety threat and qualifies as an emerg10 ing drug threat, as defined in section 702 of the OfVerDate Sep 11 2014 19:13 Aug 26, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S4491.IS S4491

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1 fice of National Drug Control Policy Reauthorization 

2 Act of 1998 (21 U.S.C. 1701). 

3 (2) Methamphetamine treatment admissions in4 creased from 15.1 percent of all admissions in 2008 

5 to 23.6 percent in 2017, the latest year for which 

6 data is available. 

7 (3) During the timeframe described in para8 graph (2)— 

9 (A) methamphetamine-related treatment 

10 admissions among women increased from 19.2 

11 percent of all drug-related treatment admissions 

12 to 28.3 percent; and 

13 (B) heroin use among those admitted for 

14 methamphetamine-related treatment increased 

15 from 5.3 percent to 23.6 percent. 

16 (4) By the end of 2019, methamphetamine 

17 availability, use, purity, and potency had increased 

18 nationally, as street-level prices declined. 

19 (5) Methamphetamine use is a nationwide issue. 

20 Its use remains widespread in Midwest and Western 

21 States and is becoming increasingly prevalent in 

22 Northeastern States. 

23 (6) Methamphetamine is the drug most often 

24 associated with violent crime. 


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1 (7) According to the Centers for Disease Con2 trol and Prevention— 

3 (A) between 2018 and 2019, drug overdose 

4 deaths involving methamphetamine and other 

5 stimulants increased by 27 percent nationally; 

6 (B) the number of deaths described in sub7 paragraph (A) increased in 27 of the 38 States 

8 that provide drug-specific overdose data to the 

9 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 

10 and 

11 (C) between January 2019 and January 

12 2020, among 36 States and the District of Co13 lumbia, suspected stimulant overdoses, includ14 ing methamphetamine, treated in emergency de15 partments increased by 23 percent. 

16 (8) Methamphetamine-related overdose deaths 

17 will likely continue to increase in 2020, due in part 

18 to the ongoing COVID–19 pandemic, which makes 

19 obtaining treatment for substance use disorders, in20 cluding methamphetamine use, more difficult. 

21 (9) The increase in methamphetamine use and 

22 the negative respiratory and pulmonary health ef23 fects associated with its use has caused the National 

24 Institute on Drug Abuse to warn clinicians to be 

25 prepared to monitor adverse effects when treating 


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1 individuals using methamphetamine who also have 

2 COVID–19. 

3 (10) Since the onset of COVID–19 in the 

4 United States, the number of law enforcement and 

5 first responder agencies entering data into nation6 wide overdose mapping applications to track real7 time suspected overdoses, including methamphet8 amine overdoses, has increased. 

9 (11) In the first 9 months of fiscal year 2020, 

10 there was a 52 percent increase in the amount of 

11 methamphetamine seized by U.S. Customs and Bor12 der Protection. 

13 (12) Public reports indicated that Mexican car14 tels may be stockpiling illicit drugs, including meth15 amphetamine, on the Mexican side of the Southwest 

16 Border and could flood cities across the United 

17 States with these narcotics once the COVID–19 pan18 demic ends or when restrictions at ports of entry at 

19 the U.S.-Mexico border loosen. 

20 (13) Intentional preparation to counter any 

21 surges in production, distribution, and use are essen22 tial in lowering methamphetamine-related overdose 

23 deaths and substance use disorders. 


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1 SEC. 3. DECLARATION OF EMERGING THREAT. 

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—Congress declares methamphet3 amine an emerging drug threat, as defined in section 702 

4 of the Office of National Drug Control Policy Reauthor5 ization Act of 1998 (21 U.S.C. 1701), in the United 

6 States. 

7 (b) REQUIRED EMERGING THREAT RESPONSE

8 PLAN.—Not later than 90 days after the date of enact9 ment of this Act, the Director of the Office of National 

10 Drug Control Policy shall establish and implement an 

11 Emerging Threat Response Plan that is specific to meth12 amphetamine in accordance with section 709(d) of the Of13 fice of National Drug Control Policy Reauthorization Act 

14 of 1998 (21 U.S.C. 1708(d)). 

Æ 


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