On July 19, U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM) welcomed the FEND Off Fentanyl Act being included in the Senate's yearly defense bill. The Senate's debate on the defense bill was initiated after the vote took place on July 18, according to Heinrich's website.
“I’m proud to help advance the FEND Off Fentanyl Act in the Senate to cut off the illicit supply of fentanyl from China and Mexico, so we can target fentanyl before it ever hits our borders," Heinrich said, according to his website. "This is an important step, and I’ll continue the work of fighting this epidemic head-on.”
Heinrich expressed his approval of the inclusion of the FEND Off Fentanyl Act in the Senate's annual defense bill, in efforts to combat the opioid epidemic. Heinrich is cosponsoring the bipartisan legislation alongside U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI) and Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS). The FEND Off Fentanyl Act introduces new sanctions and targets the source of illicit fentanyl. The Senate's vote on July 18 marked the beginning of discussions on the defense bill.
“The heartache of losing a loved one to the opioid epidemic is not new to New Mexican families. But its danger has grown with the lethality and magnitude of fentanyl making its way into our schools and communities,” Heinrich said, according to his website.
Heinrich included two provisions in the "Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies" appropriations bill, which received bipartisan approval and advanced out of the Senate Appropriations Committee earlier this month. The first provision requires the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to establish a comprehensive fentanyl tracking system, tracking seized fentanyl's chemical composition, manufacturing locations and points of entry into the country.
The second provision directs the DEA to remove barriers to accessing opioid use disorder medications, clarifying the distinction between suspicious orders of opioids and buprenorphine on the Suspicious Orders Report System (SORS), thus facilitating easier access to lifesaving medication for patients in need.