Roe, Suozzi Introduce the Modernizing Drug Enforcement Act

Press Release

Yesterday, Reps. Phil Roe, M.D. (R-TN) and Thomas Suozzi (D-NY) introduced H.R. 5298, the Modernizing Drug Enforcement Act, legislation to reclassify drugs or other substances that act as opioids, such as synthetic fentanyl, as schedule I narcotics based on their chemical structure and function.

The members released the following statements:

"The opioid crisis affects Americans from all walks of life and is ravaging communities in East Tennessee and across our nation," said Rep. Roe. "We cannot stand idly by and allow the widespread abuse of opioids to take any more lives. We must ensure we are taking every step to address substance abuse, as producers of these illegal drugs find new ways to develop and manufacture new substances that provide the same results, and often with greater risks, as current opioids. That's why I've partnered with Rep. Suozzi to introduce the Modernizing Drug Enforcement Act, which will give law enforcement the upper hand in trying to keep deadly drugs off our streets. It's important we take a forward-thinking approach to curb further substance and opioid abuse, and this bipartisan bill will help do just that."

"The opioid epidemic does not differentiate between Republicans and Democrats. It's a crisis that affects families and children all across the United States, including many people on Long Island and Queens. I'm proud to team up with Dr. Roe on this bipartisan bill that takes important steps in making sure drugs like fentanyl don't fall into the hands of our loved ones. This is just one step in the overall fight against opioids, but it's an important one, and I will continue working hard with members on both sides of the aisle to stop this deadly crisis," said Rep. Suozzi.

Background: One of the challenges Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents have in stopping the illicit flow of opioid-like substances into the U.S. is that they must wait for new substances to be developed and then have them reclassified as schedule I narcotics. This legislation reverses the process by pre-emptively classifying all these substances as schedule I narcotics and then allowing pharmaceutical companies that have received FDA approval for a compound to produce it. This legislation exempts drugs or substances that have already been classified in the schedule defined by the Controlled Substances Act; drugs or substances being studied in clinical research; or substances pending new approval.

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