Legislation sponsored by U.S. Rep. Bob Latta (R-OH) authorizing the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to bar an entity from registering to manufacture, distribute or dispense controlled substances under certain circumstances became law on Aug. 6 with President Joe Biden’s signature.
“I am grateful to my Senate colleagues and the president for moving swiftly to make this bill a law,” Rep. Latta said. “It is time that the American people finally have the upper hand over the bad actors who continue to contribute to this opioid crisis.”
The Debarment Enforcement of Bad Actor Registrants (DEBAR) Act of 2021, H.R. 1002, which Rep. Latta authored, received approval on April 15 by the U.S. House of Representatives with a 411-5 vote, and on July 27 passed the U.S. Senate by unanimous consent.
“Every day, nearly 130 Americans die from an opioid overdose, and it is critical we stop bad actors from contributing to the deaths of those suffering from addiction,” said Rep. Latta. “The opioid and drug overdose epidemic continues to destroy the lives of Americans, including Ohioans, at an increasingly disturbing rate.”
Rep. Latta cited data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which reported 93,331 overdose deaths occurred across the country in 2020, with almost 75 percent of fatal overdoses attributed to opioids. Additionally, the National Institute on Drug Abuse reported that substance abuse costs the United States more than $600 billion annually, he said, adding that “treatment can help reduce these drugs.”
The DEBAR Act amends the Controlled Substance Act to allow the Attorney General to issue an order to prohibit, conditionally or unconditionally, and permanently or for such period as the Attorney General may determine, any person from being registered to manufacture, distribute or dispense a controlled substance or a list I chemical, according to a summary of the new law.
“Currently, individuals or companies who have their license to distribute opioids revoked one day can reapply the next to get it back,” Rep. Latta said. “The DEBAR Act would put an end to this and finally hold those who act as bad actors accountable.”