[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 10459 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 10459
To establish the Joint Task Force to Counter the Illicit Synthetic
Narcotics.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
December 17, 2024
Mr. Newhouse (for himself, Mr. Auchincloss, Mr. Dunn of Florida, Mr.
Khanna, Mr. Johnson of South Dakota, Mr. Torres of New York, Mrs.
Steel, Mr. Moolenaar, and Mr. Krishnamoorthi) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in
addition to the Committees on Financial Services, Foreign Affairs, and
Intelligence (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 Representatives 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 2024''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) The United States is experiencing a crisis of substance
abuse and addiction resulting in the deaths of hundreds of
thousands of Americans. 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 information and coordinate
efforts to combat the opioid crisis.
SEC. 3. 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 (hereby referred to as ``JTF-ISN'').
(b) Membership.--The JTF-ISN shall include representation from each
of the following entities:
(1) The Department of Justice including the--
(A) Drug Enforcement Administration;
(B) Federal Bureau of Investigation; and
(C) Assistant U.S. Attorneys and Trial Attorneys,
as the Director deems appropriate.
(2) The Department of the Treasury including the--
(A) Counter-Fentanyl Strike Force;
(B) Internal Revenue Service Criminal
Investigation;
(C) Financial Crimes Enforcement Network;
(D) Office of Foreign Assets Control; and
(E) Office of Intelligence and Analysis.
(3) The Department of Homeland Security including--
(A) Homeland Security Investigations;
(B) U.S. Customs and Border Protection including
the National Targeting Center;
(C) Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE); and
(D) the United States Coast Guard.
(4) The Department of State.
(5) The Department of Commerce.
(6) The Department of Defense.
(7) The Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
(8) Any other agency the Director deems appropriate
(collectively the ``JTF-ISN Members'').
(c) Director of Joint Task Force to Illicit Synthetic Narcotics.--
(1) The JTF-ISN shall be led by a Director who shall be
appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent
of the Senate.
(2) The Director shall report directly to the Attorney
General.
(4) 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) The Director of the JTF-ISN shall report to the
Attorney General on matters related to the budget, programs,
and activities of the JTF-ISN, and to the President on the
planning and progress of joint counter-illicit synthetic
narcotics operations.
(2) The Director shall submit a report, and upon request of
the chairman or ranking member of any such committee, a
briefing to the Committee on the Judiciary and the Committee on
Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and the
Committee on the Judiciary and the Committee on Homeland
Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate--
(A) not later than 6 months after the date of the
enactment of this Act; and
(B) every 6 months thereafter.
(3) Each report and requested briefing shall include--
(A) a comprehensive plan covering the 2-year period
after submission of the report--
(i) a description of the goals of the JTF-
ISN;
(ii) description of areas of improvement
with respect to collaboration among the
participating agencies; and
(iii) an estimate of the funding and staff
needed for the continued work of the JTF-ISN;
(B) a statement of the budget priorities of the
JTF-ISN for each year in that period;
(C) a description of the efforts of the JTF-ISN to
investigate and prosecute illicit synthetic narcotics
trafficking crimes, including raids conducted, assets
seized, assets forfeited and indictments brought and
convictions; and
(D) efforts of the JTF-ISN to address matters
related to the role of the People's Republic of China
in the opioids crisis.
SEC. 4. PRIMARY MISSIONS OF JTF-ISN.
The primary mission of the JTF-ISN shall be to direct counter
opioid and synthetic narcotics activities, including disruption
activities and associated investigations, and provide strategic
coordination on related activities, including but not limited to
sanctions enforcement, conducting joint operations, raids, and other
tactical actions in coordination with Federal, State, territorial,
Tribal, and local law enforcement agencies through memorandums of
understanding. This support includes legal actions against traffickers
and foreign entities, particularly in the People's Republic of China,
complicit in the opioid trade.
SEC. 5. AUTHORITY AND LIMITATIONS.
(a) Authority.--The JTF-ISN shall be vested with power and
authority to--
(1) investigate and prosecute violations of Federal law
relating to the trafficking of illicit synthetic narcotics;
related offenses, such as money laundering and other financial
crimes, smuggling, and false statements; as well as any matters
that arise or might arise directly from its investigations;
(2) in the case of a prosecution relating to non-U.S.
persons outside of the United States, the JTF-ISN shall bring
the case either in the district where the crime was committed
or in the district where the Drug Enforcement Administration is
located;
(3) facilitate the sharing of information between JTF-ISN
Members 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 narcotics;
(7) assess and improve existing methods of investigating
and prosecuting illicit synthetic narcotics trafficking crimes;
and
(8) conduct direct operational activities, including joint
operations, raids, and other tactical actions, to disrupt
illicit synthetic narcotics trafficking networks and bring
offenders to justice.
(b) Limitation.--The Director of the JTF-ISN 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 missions of the JTF-ISN.
SEC. 6. RESOLUTION OF DISPUTES.
The Attorney General shall resolve disagreements between the JTF-
ISN and the head of a department, agency, or element of the United
States Government on designations, assignments, plans, or
responsibilities under this section. The head of such a department,
agency, or element may appeal the resolution of the disagreement by the
Attorney General to the President.
SEC. 7. INTERNAL STRUCTURE OF JTF-ISN.
(a) Intelligence Coordination.--The Director of the JTF-ISN shall
establish and maintain within the JTF-ISN an intelligence coordination
element which shall have primary responsibility within the United
States Government for analysis of illicit synthetic narcotics and
related trafficking organizations from all sources of intelligence,
whether collected inside or outside the United States.
(b) Strategic Operational Planning.--The Director of the JTF-ISN
shall establish and maintain within the JTF-ISN a strategic operational
planning element which shall provide strategic operational plans for
counter-opioid operations conducted by the United States Government.
(1) Strategic operational planning shall include the
mission, objectives to be achieved, tasks to be performed,
interagency coordination of operational activities, and the
assignment of roles and responsibilities.
(2) The Director of the JTF-ISN shall monitor the
implementation of strategic operational plans and shall obtain
information from each element of the intelligence community,
and from each other department, 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 of the JTF-CO shall
establish and maintain within the JTF-ISN an Office of General Counsel
which shall provide legal advice in support of the JTF-ISN and its
directorates.
(d) Office of Congressional Coordination.--The Director of the JTF-
ISN 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 briefing
obligations under this Act.
SEC. 8. RETENTION OF EXISTING AUTHORITIES.
Each of the individual JTF-ISN Members maintain their existing
authorities to investigate and prosecute trafficking crimes relating to
illicit synthetic narcotics.
SEC. 9. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act, the term ``illicit synthetic narcotics'' means--
(1) ``controlled substances,'' as defined in section 802(6)
of title 21, United States Code, with the exception of--
(A) substances of natural origins; or
(B) medications that are lawful under the laws of
the United States and the Drug Enforcement
Administration has provided an import permit to the
importing organization for the import of said
medication;
(2) ``listed chemicals,'' as defined in section 802 of
title 21, United States Code; and
(3) active pharmaceutical ingredients or chemicals that are
used in the production of controlled substances described in
paragraphs (1) and (2).
SEC. 10. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.
Nothing in this Act shall be construed to authorize the Joint Task
Force to Counter Illicit Synthetic Narcotics to investigate, target, or
prosecute individuals for personal drug use or to pursue enforcement
actions against low-level drug dealing that does not involve
significant connections to larger trafficking networks. The activities
of the Joint Task Force shall focus exclusively on addressing the
international trafficking of illicit synthetic narcotics and their
associated networks, particularly those involving significant threats
to public health, national security, and the economy.
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