Bill > HRes959

This resolution expresses the House of Representatives' view that illicit fentanyl-related substances should be classified as a weapon of mass destruction due to their extreme lethality and potential for harm. The resolution highlights that a single kilogram of fentanyl can potentially kill 500,000 individuals, and in 2021, an estimated 71,238 U.S. citizens died from synthetic opioid overdoses. It notes that China and Mexico are primary sources of illicit fentanyl, with China providing precursor chemicals and Mexico trafficking substances across the Southern border. The resolution points out that the FBI's Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate assessed in 2018 that fentanyl could be a viable option for a chemical weapons attack. Additionally, the resolution calls on the President to classify synthetic illicit fentanyl-related substances as a weapon of mass destruction and recommends permanently placing these substances in schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, which designates drugs with a high potential for abuse and no accepted medical use. The document also acknowledges the growing sophistication of fentanyl trafficking operations and the drug's role as the leading driver of the ongoing U.S. opioid crisis.

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https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-resolution/959/all-info