116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 4612 

AN ACT 

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, 
2 

†S 4612 ES

1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Methamphetamine Re3 sponse Act of 2020’’. 

4 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

5 Congress finds the following: 

6 (1) Methamphetamine poses a significant public 

7 health and safety threat and qualifies as an emerg8 ing drug threat, as defined in section 702 of the Of9 fice of National Drug Control Policy Reauthorization 

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

11 (2) Methamphetamine treatment admissions in12 creased from 15.1 percent of all admissions in 2008 

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

14 data is available. 

15 (3) During the timeframe described in para16 graph (2)— 

17 (A) methamphetamine-related treatment 

18 admissions among women increased from 19.2 

19 percent of all drug-related treatment admissions 

20 to 28.3 percent; and 

21 (B) heroin use among those admitted for 

22 methamphetamine-related treatment increased 

23 from 5.3 percent to 23.6 percent. 

24 (4) By the end of 2019, methamphetamine 

25 availability, use, purity, and potency had increased 

26 nationally, as street-level prices declined. 
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†S 4612 ES

1 (5) Methamphetamine use is a nationwide issue. 

2 Its use remains widespread in Midwest and Western 

3 States and is becoming increasingly prevalent in 

4 Northeastern States. 

5 (6) Methamphetamine is the drug most often 

6 associated with violent crime. 

7 (7) According to the Centers for Disease Con8 trol and Prevention— 

9 (A) between 2018 and 2019, drug overdose 

10 deaths involving methamphetamine and other 

11 stimulants increased by 27 percent nationally; 

12 (B) the number of deaths described in sub13 paragraph (A) increased in 27 of the 38 States 

14 that provide drug-specific overdose data to the 

15 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 

16 and 

17 (C) between January 2019 and January 

18 2020, among 36 States and the District of Co19 lumbia, suspected stimulant overdoses, includ20 ing methamphetamine, treated in emergency de21 partments increased by 23 percent. 

22 (8) Methamphetamine-related overdose deaths 

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

24 to the ongoing COVID–19 pandemic, which makes 
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†S 4612 ES

1 obtaining treatment for substance use disorders, in2 cluding methamphetamine use, more difficult. 

3 (9) The increase in methamphetamine use and 

4 the negative respiratory and pulmonary health ef5 fects associated with its use has caused the National 

6 Institute on Drug Abuse to warn clinicians to be 

7 prepared to monitor adverse effects when treating 

8 individuals using methamphetamine who also have 

9 COVID–19. 

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

11 United States, the number of law enforcement and 

12 first responder agencies entering data into nation13 wide overdose mapping applications to track real14 time suspected overdoses, including methamphet15 amine overdoses, has increased. 

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

17 there was a 52 percent increase in the amount of 

18 methamphetamine seized by U.S. Customs and Bor19 der Protection. 

20 (12) Public reports indicate that Mexican car21 tels may be stockpiling money and illicit drugs, in22 cluding methamphetamine, on both sides of the 

23 Southwest Border and that the Drug Enforcement 

24 Administration is preparing to respond to any poten25 tial surge in supply. 
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1 (13) Intentional preparation to counter any 

2 surges in production, distribution, and use are essen3 tial in lowering methamphetamine-related overdose 

4 deaths and substance use disorders. 

5 SEC. 3. DECLARATION OF EMERGING THREAT. 

6 (a) IN GENERAL.—Congress declares methamphet7 amine an emerging drug threat, as defined in section 702 

8 of the Office of National Drug Control Policy Reauthor9 ization Act of 1998 (21 U.S.C. 1701), in the United 

10 States. 

11 (b) REQUIRED EMERGING THREAT RESPONSE

12 PLAN.—Not later than 90 days after the date of enact13 ment of this Act, the Director of the Office of National 

14 Drug Control Policy shall establish and implement an 

15 Emerging Threat Response Plan that is specific to meth16 amphetamine in accordance with section 709(d) of the Of17 fice of National Drug Control Policy Reauthorization Act 

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

Passed the Senate November 16, 2020. 

Attest: 

Secretary. 
116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 4612 

AN ACT 

To designate methamphetamine as an emerging 

threat, and for other purposes.