Protecting Our Youth from Dangerous Synthetic Drugs Act of 2015

Bill: 114-hr-4229
Sponsor: Rep. Katko, John [R-NY-24]
Introduced: 2015-12-10 in the House
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Criminal procedure and sentencing
Drug trafficking and controlled substances
Drug, alcohol, tobacco use
Executive agency funding and structure
Trade restrictions
U.S. Sentencing Commission

Summary:
action_date: 2015-12-10
text: 

Protecting Our Youth from Dangerous Synthetic Drugs Act of 2015

 
This bill amends the Controlled Substances Act to include in the definition of a "controlled substance analogue" a substance designated as such by the Controlled Substance Analogue Committee (established by this bill).
 
It directs the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to establish such Committee as an interagency committee headed by the DEA and comprised of scientific experts in the fields of chemistry and pharmacology from the DEA, the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and any other federal agency determined by the DEA to be appropriate. 
 
 The Committee may designate, and shall establish and maintain a list of, controlled substance analogues determined to be similar to a schedule I or II controlled substance in either chemical structure or predictive effect on the body in such a manner as to make it likely that the substance will, or can be reasonably expected to, have a potential for abuse. The DEA must publish a description of each designation made by the Committee.
 
The bill amends the Controlled Substances Import and Export Act to prohibit the importation of any controlled substance analogue except pursuant to such notification or declaration as the DEA may prescribe.
 
It directs the U.S. Sentencing Commission to review and, if appropriate, amend the federal sentencing guidelines and policy statements to ensure that they provide adequate penalties for any offense involving the unlawful manufacturing, importing, exporting, or trafficking of controlled substance analogues and similar offenses.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2016-01-15
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations.
action_date: 2015-12-11
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2015-12-10
text: 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.
action_date: 2015-12-10
text: 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.
action_date: 2015-12-10
text: 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.
action_date: 2015-12-10
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2015-12-10
text: Introduced in House