I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2024 
To establish the Joint Task Force to Counter the Illicit Synthetic Narcotics. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 11, 2025 
Mr. NEWHOUSE (for himself, Mr. MOOLENAAR, Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI, Mr. 
AUCHINCLOSS, Mr. DUNN of Florida, Mr. KHANNA, Mr. JOHNSON of 
South Dakota, and Mr. TORRES of New York) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addi-
tion to the Committees on Financial Services, Foreign Affairs, and Intel-
ligence (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 Representa-
tives 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 2025’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
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(1) The United States is experiencing a crisis 
of substance abuse and addiction resulting in the 
deaths of hundreds of thousands of people of the 
United States. 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 informa-
tion and coordinate efforts to combat the opioid cri-
sis. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE; LISTED CHEM-
ICAL.—The terms ‘‘controlled substance’’ and ‘‘listed 
chemical’’ have the meanings given the terms in sec-
tion 102 of the Controlled Substances Act (21 
U.S.C. 802). 
(2) DIRECTOR.—The term ‘‘Director’’ means 
the Director of the JTF–ISN. 
(3) ILLICIT SYNTHETIC NARCOTIC.—The term 
‘‘illicit synthetic narcotic’’ means— 
(A) a controlled substance with the excep-
tion of— 
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(i) a substance of natural origin; or 
(ii) a medication— 
(I) that is lawful under the laws 
of the United States; and 
(II) for which the Drug Enforce-
ment Administration has provided an 
import permit to the importing orga-
nization for the import of the medica-
tion; 
(B) a listed chemical; and 
(C) an active pharmaceutical ingredient or 
chemical that is used in the production of a 
controlled substance or listed chemical in sub-
paragraphs (A) and (B). 
(4) JTF–ISN.—The term ‘‘JTF–ISN’’ means 
the Joint Task Force to Counter Illicit Synthetic 
Narcotics established under section 4. 
SEC. 4. 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. 
(b) MEMBERSHIP.—The JTF–ISN shall be composed 
of representatives of the following entities: 
(1) The Department of Justice, including— 
(A) the Drug Enforcement Administration; 
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(B) the Federal Bureau of Investigation; 
and 
(C) assistant United States attorneys and 
trial attorneys, as the Director determines are 
appropriate. 
(2) The Department of the Treasury, includ-
ing— 
(A) the Counter-Fentanyl Strike Force; 
(B) the Internal Revenue Service Criminal 
Investigation; 
(C) the Financial Crimes Enforcement 
Network; 
(D) the Office of Foreign Assets Control; 
and 
(E) Office of Intelligence and Analysis. 
(3) The Department of Homeland Security, in-
cluding— 
(A) Homeland Security Investigations; 
(B) U.S. Customs and Border Protection, 
including the National Targeting Center; 
(C) Immigration and Customs Enforce-
ment; and 
(D) the United States Coast Guard. 
(4) The Department of State. 
(5) The Department of Commerce. 
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(6) The Department of Defense. 
(7) The Office of the Director of National Intel-
ligence. 
(8) Any other agency the Director deems appro-
priate. 
(c) DIRECTOR.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The JTF–ISN shall be led 
by a Director who shall be appointed by the Presi-
dent, by and with the advice and consent of the Sen-
ate. 
(2) COMPENSATION.—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) IN GENERAL.—The Director shall report to 
the Attorney General. 
(2) REPORTS AND BRIEFINGS.—Not later than 
180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, 
and every 180 days thereafter, the Director shall 
submit to the Committee on the Judiciary and the 
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental 
Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on the Ju-
diciary and the Committee on Homeland Security of 
the House of Representatives a report, and upon re-
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SEC. 5. PRIMARY MISSIONS OF JTF–ISN. 
The primary mission of the JTF–ISN shall be to di-
rect counter opioid and synthetic narcotics activities, in-
cluding disruption activities and associated investigations, 
and provide strategic coordination on related activities, in-
cluding sanctions enforcement, conducting joint oper-
ations, raids, and other tactical actions in coordination 
with Federal, State, territorial, Tribal, and local law en-
forcement agencies through memorandums of under-
standing such as legal actions against traffickers and for-
eign entities, particularly in the People’s Republic of 
China, complicit in the opioid trade. 
SEC. 6. AUTHORITY AND LIMITATIONS. 
(a) AUTHORITY.—The JTF–ISN shall be vested with 
power and authority to— 
(1) investigate and prosecute violations of Fed-
eral law relating to— 
(A) the trafficking of illicit synthetic nar-
cotics and related offenses, such as money laun-
dering and other financial crimes; and 
(B) smuggling, false statements, and any 
matter that arises or might arises directly from 
its investigations; 
(2) in the case of a prosecution relating to non- 
United States persons outside of the United States, 
bring a case— 
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(A) in the district where the crime was 
committed; 
(B) in the district where the Drug En-
forcement Administration is located; or 
(C) in a district described in section 3238 
of title 18, United States Code; 
(3) facilitate the sharing of information between 
members of the JTF–ISN 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 nar-
cotics; 
(7) assess and improve existing methods of in-
vestigating and prosecuting illicit synthetic narcotics 
trafficking crimes; and 
(8) conduct direct operational activities, includ-
ing joint operations, raids, and other tactical ac-
tions, to disrupt illicit synthetic narcotics trafficking 
networks and bring offenders to justice. 
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(b) LIMITATION.—The Director 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 mis-
sions of the JTF–ISN. 
SEC. 7. INTERNAL STRUCTURE OF JTF–ISN. 
(a) INTELLIGENCE COORDINATION.—The Director 
shall establish and maintain within the JTF–ISN an intel-
ligence coordination element, which shall have primary re-
sponsibility within the United States Government for anal-
ysis of illicit synthetic narcotics and related trafficking or-
ganizations from all sources of intelligence, whether col-
lected inside or outside the United States. 
(b) STRATEGIC OPERATIONAL PLANNING.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Director shall establish 
and maintain within the JTF–ISN a strategic oper-
ational planning element, which shall provide stra-
tegic operational plans for counter-opioid operations 
conducted by the United States Government, and in-
clude the mission, objectives to be achieved, tasks to 
be performed, interagency coordination of oper-
ational activities, and the assignment of roles and 
responsibilities. 
(2) MONITORING.—The Director shall monitor 
the implementation of strategic operational plans 
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and shall obtain information from each element of 
the intelligence community, and from each other de-
partment, 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 
shall establish and maintain within the JTF–ISN an Of-
fice of General Counsel, which shall provide legal advice 
in support of the JTF–ISN and its directorates. 
(d) OFFICE OF CONGRESSIONAL COORDINATION.— 
The Director 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 brief-
ing obligations under this Act. 
SEC. 8. RETENTION OF EXISTING AUTHORITIES. 
Each member of the JTF–ISN shall maintain their 
existing authorities to investigate and prosecute traf-
ficking crimes relating to illicit synthetic narcotics. 
SEC. 9. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION. 
Nothing in this Act shall be construed to authorize 
the JTF–ISN to investigate, target, or prosecute individ-
uals for personal drug use or to pursue enforcement ac-
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tions against low-level drug dealing that does not involve 
significant connections to larger trafficking networks. 
Æ 
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