Title: Fentanyl and Heroin Task Force Act
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement

Summary:
Fentanyl and Heroin Task Force Act
This bill amends the Controlled Substances Act to establish the Fentanyl and Heroin Inter-Agency Task Force: (1) to coordinate federal efforts to identify, target, and dismantle organizations that traffic fentanyl or heroin; (2) to identify sources of fentanyl and heroin production and distribution; and (3) to provide best practices, updated information, and support to federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4090 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4090

  To amend the Controlled Substances Act to establish a task force to 
                address fentanyl and heroin trafficking.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 23, 2017

      Mr. Jenkins of West Virginia (for himself and Ms. Clark of 
Massachusetts) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Energy 
    and Commerce, 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 amend the Controlled Substances Act to establish a task force to 
                address fentanyl and heroin trafficking.

    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 ``Fentanyl and Heroin Task Force 
Act''.

SEC. 2. FENTANYL AND HEROIN TASK FORCE.

    (a) Amendment To Establish Task Force.--The Controlled Substances 
Act (21 U.S.C. 801 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 520 
the following new section:

``SEC. 521. FENTANYL AND HEROIN TASK FORCE.

    ``(a) Inter-Agency Task Force.--Not more than one year after the 
date of enactment of this section, the Attorney General shall establish 
a task force to be known as the `Fentanyl and Heroin Inter-Agency Task 
Force' (in this section referred to as the `Task Force').
    ``(b) Duties.--The Task Force shall--
            ``(1) coordinate Federal agency efforts to identify, 
        target, and dismantle organizations that traffic fentanyl or 
        heroin;
            ``(2) identify sources of fentanyl and heroin production 
        and distribution; and
            ``(3) provide to Federal, State, and local law enforcement 
        agencies--
                    ``(A) a description of best practices with respect 
                to handling and disposal of fentanyl;
                    ``(B) as necessary, updated information about 
                efforts to identify, target, and dismantle 
                organizations that traffic fentanyl or heroin; and
                    ``(C) operational and investigative support with 
                respect to efforts to identify, target, and dismantle 
                organizations that traffic fentanyl or heroin.
    ``(c) Semiannual Report.--
            ``(1) Timing.--Not later than one year after the date of 
        the establishment of the Task Force, and semiannually 
        thereafter, the Task Force shall submit to Congress a report 
        containing the information described in paragraph (2).
            ``(2) Content.--A report under paragraph (1) shall 
        include--
                    ``(A) a description of the status of fentanyl and 
                heroin trafficking within the United States during the 
                previous six-month period;
                    ``(B) a summary of Federal, State, and local 
                efforts to eradicate fentanyl and heroin trafficking 
                and an evaluation of the efficacy of those efforts; and
                    ``(C) recommendations of the Task Force with 
                respect to any authorizations by Congress that would 
                enable the Task Force to carry out the duties under 
                subsection (b).
    ``(d) Membership.--
            ``(1) Composition.--The Task Force shall include a 
        chairperson and representatives selected by the heads of the 
        following Federal entities--
                    ``(A) Customs and Border Protection;
                    ``(B) the Drug Enforcement Administration;
                    ``(C) the Federal Bureau of Investigation;
                    ``(D) Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland 
                Security Investigations;
                    ``(E) the International Trade Administration;
                    ``(F) the Internal Revenue Service;
                    ``(G) the Office of National Drug Control Policy;
                    ``(H) the United States Postal Inspection Service; 
                and
                    ``(I) not more than two additional Federal agencies 
                selected by the Attorney General.
            ``(2) Chairperson.--The Attorney General shall appoint the 
        chairperson of the Task Force.
            ``(3) Term of membership.--Members of the Task Force shall 
        serve until the head of the respective entity of the member 
        appoints a new representative to the Task Force. The 
        chairperson shall serve until the Attorney General appoints a 
        new chairperson.
            ``(4) Member pay.--Members of the Task Force may not 
        receive additional pay, allowances, or benefits by reason of 
        their service on the Task Force.
    ``(e) Operating Rules and Procedures.--
            ``(1) Voting.--Each member of the Task Force shall have one 
        vote.
            ``(2) Rules and procedures.--Any member of the Task Force 
        may propose to create or alter existing operating rules and 
        procedures consistent with the functions of the Task Force. Any 
        change to the operating rules and procedures shall be adopted 
        only upon a majority vote of the Task Force.
            ``(3) Recommendations.--The Task Force shall adopt 
        recommendations under subsection (c)(2)(C) only upon a majority 
        vote of the board.
            ``(4) Quorum.--Six members of the Task Force shall 
        constitute a quorum but a lesser number may hold meetings.
    ``(f) Director and Staff.--
            ``(1) Director.--The Task Force may appoint and set the pay 
        of a director.
            ``(2) Staff.--The director may appoint not more than 10 
        staff personnel as the director considers appropriate.
            ``(3) Applicability of certain civil service laws.--The 
        staff of the Task Force shall be appointed subject to the 
        provisions of title 5, United States Code, governing 
        appointments in the competitive service, and shall be paid in 
        accordance with the provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter III 
        of chapter 53 of that title relating to classification and 
        General Schedule pay rates.
            ``(4) Experts and consultants.--The Task Force and the 
        director, acting with the approval of the Task Force, may 
        procure temporary and intermittent services under section 
        3109(b) of title 5, United States Code.
            ``(5) Staff of federal agencies.--Upon the request of the 
        director, the head of any Federal department or agency may 
        detail, on a reimbursable basis, any of the personnel of that 
        department or agency to the Task Force to assist it in carrying 
        out its duties under this section.
    ``(g) Powers of the Task Force.--
            ``(1) Hearings and sessions.--The Task Force may, for the 
        purpose of carrying out this section, hold hearings, sit and 
        act at times and places, take testimony, and receive evidence 
        as the Task Force considers appropriate.
            ``(2) Powers of members and agents.--Any member or agent of 
        the Task Force may, if authorized by the Task Force, take any 
        action which the Task Force is authorized to take by this 
        section.
            ``(3) Obtaining official data.--Subject to applicable 
        privacy laws and regulations, the Task Force may secure 
        directly from any department or agency of the United States 
        information necessary to enable it to carry out this section. 
        Upon request of the chairperson of the Task Force, the head of 
        that department or agency shall furnish that information to the 
        Task Force.
            ``(4) Mails.--The Task Force may use the United States 
        mails in the same manner and under the same conditions as other 
        departments and agencies of the United States.
            ``(5) Administrative support services.--Upon the request of 
        the Task Force, the Administrator of General Services shall 
        provide to the Task Force, on a reimbursable basis, the 
        administrative support services necessary for the Task Force to 
        carry out its duties under this section.
            ``(6) Contract authority.--To the extent or in the amounts 
        provided in advance in appropriation Acts, the Task Force may 
        contract with and compensate government and private agencies or 
        persons for services necessary to carry out its duties under 
        this section.
    ``(h) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated $5,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2019 through 
2024 to carry out this section.
    ``(i) Definitions.--For the purposes of this section:
            ``(1) Fentanyl.--The term `fentanyl' includes any 
        controlled substance analogue of fentanyl.
            ``(2) Heroin.--The term `heroin' includes any controlled 
        substance analogue of heroin.''.
    (b) Amendment to Table of Contents.--The table of contents for the 
Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 801 et seq.) is amended by adding 
after the item relating to section 520 the following:

``Sec. 521. Fentanyl and Heroin Task Force.''.
                                 <all>