Title: SAFE from Illicit Foreign Opioids Act
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
SAFE from Illicit Foreign Opioids Act
This bill directs the Department of State to develop a strategy to stop the flow of illicit opioids in the United States. Strategy priorities shall include reducing the production of illicit opioids, strengthening the ability of partner countries to detect and stop opioid threats, and increasing the political will of foreign governments to target online opioid sales and associated financial transactions.
The bill also requires annual reports on the strategy.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2780 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2780

     To require the Secretary of State to develop and maintain an 
 international diplomatic and assistance strategy to stop the flow of 
 illicit opioids, including fentanyl, into the United States, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 16, 2019

 Mr. McCaul (for himself and Mr. Sires) introduced the following bill; 
         which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
     To require the Secretary of State to develop and maintain an 
 international diplomatic and assistance strategy to stop the flow of 
 illicit opioids, including fentanyl, into the United States, and for 
                            other purposes.

    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 ``Save American Families Everywhere 
from Illicit Foreign Opioids Act'' or the ``SAFE from Illicit Foreign 
Opioids Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) From 1999-2017, nearly 400,000 people in the United 
        States died from opioid overdose.
            (2) Overdose deaths from opioids have increased nearly six-
        fold since 1999, killing approximately 130 Americans every day.
            (3) Since 2013, there has been a significant increase in 
        overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids, particularly 
        fentanyl.
            (4) Opioids, especially synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, 
        are currently the main driver of drug overdose deaths, and were 
        involved in nearly 68 percent of all drug overdose deaths in 
        2017.
            (5) Fentanyl illicitly trafficked into the United States 
        from abroad is significantly responsible for the ongoing 
        fentanyl epidemic.
            (6) The vast majority of heroin used in the United States 
        comes from Mexico, and fentanyl generally originates from 
        sources in China.
            (7) Illicit opioids are trafficked into the United States 
        through a variety of routes, including overland across the 
        Southwest border, and through online orders that are shipped by 
        international mail and express consignment services.
            (8) Because these illicit drugs originate almost 
        exclusively from overseas, stopping these drug flows requires 
        enhanced foreign policy engagement by the United States.

SEC. 3. INTERNATIONAL STRATEGY TO STOP ILLICIT OPIOID FLOWS.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of State, in conjunction with the 
heads of other Federal agencies, as appropriate, shall develop and 
maintain an international diplomatic and assistance strategy to stop 
the flow of illicit opioids into the United States.
    (b) Elements.--The strategy required under subsection (a) shall 
include, at a minimum, the following:
            (1) A clear statement of the goals and objectives of the 
        strategy.
            (2) A description of the activities and tools necessary to 
        implement the strategy.
            (3) An identification of concrete benchmarks to judge 
        progress in implementing the strategy.
            (4) A description of the programs and activities currently 
        underway in support of the strategy.
            (5) Information on efforts and activities funded or 
        implemented in foreign countries by other Federal agencies 
        relevant to the strategy.
    (c) Priorities.--The strategy required under subsection (a), and 
the activities and assistance used to implement the strategy, should, 
at a minimum, prioritize the following:
            (1) Reducing the illicit production of opioids, including 
        by better enforcement of controls to deny producers of illicit 
        synthetic drugs access to precursor chemicals.
            (2) Strengthening the capacity of partner countries to 
        detect, interdict, and share information on opioid threats.
            (3) Increasing the ability and political will of foreign 
        countries to target online opioid sales, associated financial 
        flows, and the use of postal systems and shipping services to 
        transport illicit opioids, including fentanyl.
            (4) Improving the international legal framework for drug 
        control to better keep pace with rapidly evolving synthetic 
        drug threats.
            (5) Developing and enhancing partnerships with governments, 
        industry, and international organizations to combat current and 
        emerging opioid threats.
            (6) Supporting international efforts to decrease global 
        demand for illicit opioids.
    (d) Report and Update on Strategy.--Not later than 90 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act and annually thereafter for seven 
years, the Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate 
congressional committees a report consisting of the following:
            (1) The strategy required under subsection (a).
            (2) Beginning with the second report required under this 
        subsection, a list and description of the following:
                    (A) Benchmarks achieved since the immediately 
                preceding report.
                    (B) Any United States programs or activities in 
                support of the strategy initiated since the immediately 
                preceding report.
                    (C) A list and description of concrete actions and 
                commitments by foreign countries and multilateral 
                institutions since the immediately preceding report 
                relevant to the strategy.

SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR ACTIVITIES TO STOP ILLICIT 
              OPIOID FLOWS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of State 
for each of fiscal years 2020 and 2021--
            (1) not less than $12,500,000 for centrally funded drug 
        supply reduction activities by the Bureau of International 
        Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs of the Department of 
        State; and
            (2) not less than $12,500,000 for centrally funded demand 
        reduction activities by the Bureau.
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