Cassidy introduces bipartisan, bicameral bill to fight opioid counterfeiting

U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) joined a bipartisan, bicameral team of colleagues intent on bringing down the pill counterfeiters that are contributing to the nation’s opioid epidemic.

“We can save lives by getting black-market opioid pills off the streets,” Sen. Cassidy said. “We’ve seen fake pills show up in New Orleans, Shreveport, Natchitoches, and other places” in his home state of Louisiana.

Sen. Cassidy on July 26 introduced the Substance Tableting and Encapsulating Enforcement and Registration (STEER) Act, S. 3281, with original cosponsor U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-NH). The same-named H.R. 6554 also was introduced that day by U.S. Reps. David Kustoff (R-TN) and Annie Kuster (D-NH).

The proposed legislation would amend the Controlled Substances Act to require a person who possesses or intends to possess a tableting machine or encapsulating machine to obtain registration from the U.S. Attorney General (AG), among other provisions, according to text of the bill in the congressional record.

“This legislation will help law enforcement identify counterfeit pill makers and shut them down, leading to safer families and healthier communities,” said Sen. Cassidy, who is also a medical doctor.

If enacted, the STEER Act would permit the AG to establish and maintain a registry of tableting or encapsulating machine owners, track machines imported or exported to or from the United States. It would also require the U.S. Department of Justice to report details to Congress regarding any machines used in criminal activity and seized by the federal Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), according to a statement released by the senator’s office.

“As part of our efforts to combat the opioid crisis it is critical that we do everything that we can to prevent the production of counterfeit drugs that help fuel the tide of addiction,” added Sen. Hassan, who also pointed out that members from both sides of the aisle, as well as the president’s opioid commission, “agree on the importance of regulating these machines.”

The STEER Act also would create criminal penalties for people who use tableting and encapsulating machines to turn illegal drugs into counterfeit pills, according to Sen. Cassidy’s statement, which noted that the legislation does not affect a person’s ability to purchase or own a pill press machine. The bill is specifically targeted to fight the opioid epidemic, according to the senator.

S. 3281 has been referred to the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee for consideration, while H.R. 6554 is under review by both the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee and the House Judiciary Committee.