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To amend title 18, United States Code, with respect to attempted murder and the trafficking of fentanyl.
Summary
This bill amends federal criminal law to define "trafficked fentanyl" to include the illicit production, manufacture, distribution, sale, transport, or financing of fentanyl and fentanyl precursor chemicals, as well as violations of federal controlled substances laws involving fentanyl. The bill establishes that any individual found to have trafficked fentanyl shall be deemed to have attempted murder under federal law, making them subject to attempted murder penalties. This provision applies to fentanyl trafficking activity both within and outside the United States when intended for distribution in the U.S., as well as trafficking in fentanyl precursor chemicals. The bill effectively treats fentanyl trafficking as attempted murder under the federal criminal code.
AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.
Sponsor (1)
7 cosponsors
Actions (2)
- Aug 22, 2025 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary. · house
- Aug 22, 2025 Introduced in House
Similar bills (6)
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Text versions (1)
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Full text
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
August 22, 2025
Mr. Lawler (for himself, Mr. Moore of Alabama, Mr. Baird, and Mr. Baumgartner) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
A BILL
To amend title 18, United States Code, with respect to attempted murder and the trafficking of fentanyl.
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 Kills Act”.
SEC. 2. ATTEMPTED MURDER AND TRAFFICKING OF FENTANYL.
Section 1111 of title 18, United States Code, is amended—
(1) in subsection (c)—
(A) in paragraph (5), by striking “; and” and inserting a semicolon;
(B) in paragraph (6), by striking the period at the end and inserting “; and”; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
“(7) the term ‘trafficked fentanyl’ means—
“(A) any illicit activity—
“(i) to produce, manufacture, distribute, sell, or knowingly finance or transport—
“(I) illicit fentanyl, including any controlled substance that is a synthetic opioid and any listed chemical (as defined in section 102 of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 802)) that is a synthetic opioid utilized for fentanyl production; or
“(II) active pharmaceutical ingredients or chemicals that are used in the production of fentanyl;
“(ii) to attempt to carry out an activity described in subparagraph (A); or
“(iii) to assist, abet, conspire, or collude with any other person to carry out an activity described in subparagraph (A);
“(B) a violation of section 401(a)(1) of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 841(a)(1)) involving manufacturing, distributing, or dispensing, or possessing with intent to manufacture, distribute, or dispense, fentanyl or a fentanyl-related substance in or into the United States;
“(C) an attempt or conspiracy to commit a violation described in paragraph (2);
“(D) having manufactured, distributed, or dispensed, or possessed with intent to manufacture, distribute, or dispense, fentanyl or a fentanyl-related substance outside the United States with the intention of such fentanyl or fentanyl-related substance being distributed or dispensed in or into the United States in violation of section 401(a)(1) or 406 of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 841(a)(1), 846); or
“(E) having produced or manufactured, distributed, or dispensed, or possessed with intent to manufacture, distribute, or dispense, a substance that is a precursor to fentanyl or a fentanyl-related substance with the intention of such precursor, fentanyl, or fentanyl-related substance being distributed or dispensed in or into the United States in violation of section 401(a)(1) or 406 of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 841(a)(1), 846).”; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
“(d) Any individual who has been found to have trafficked fentanyl shall be deemed to have attempted to perpetrate murder under subsection
(a) and shall be subject to the penalty pursuant to subsection (b).”. <all>
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