House Passes Pappas’s Bipartisan Stop Chinese Fentanyl Act to Crack Down on Opioid Trafficking

Today Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01), a member of the Bipartisan Fentanyl Prevention Caucus, helped pass his Stop Chinese Fentanyl Act through the House of Representatives. The bipartisan Stop Chinese Fentanyl Act amends the Fentanyl Sanctions Act to make Chinese entities sanctionable as “foreign opioid traffickers” if they produce, sell, finance, or transport synthetic opioids or precursors, but fail to take credible steps to prevent opioid trafficking, including through cooperation with U.S. counternarcotics efforts and know-your-customer procedures. This legislation previously passed the House with bipartisan support in the 118th Congress.

“Fentanyl overdoses continue to kill tens of thousands of Americans every year. We must take every step to prevent more senseless deaths by holding traffickers and cartels accountable and stopping Chinese precursor chemicals before they reach our shores,” said Congressman Pappas. “This bipartisan legislation will enable the United States to crack down on foreign drug trafficking and sanction Chinese suppliers of key fentanyl ingredients. I remain committed to working to find solutions that will stop the flow of deadly drugs into our communities and save lives.”

Background:

Pappas has led the effort in Congress to permanently classify all fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I drugs so law enforcement can keep them off the streets and hold traffickers accountable, and helped pass the HALT Fentanyl Act earlier this year. He also leads the DISPOSE Act, which would create fentanyl and precursor chemical destruction facilities in three critical drug trafficking choke points: Mexico, Colombia, and Peru; it was included in the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2025.

Pappas also leads the Dark Web Interdiction Act, the Combating Illicit Xylazine Act, and the OPIOIDS Act in the House.