PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Financial Services, Foreign Affairs, and Intelligence (Permanent Select), for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Congressional Research Service
No official summary is available in the imported record yet.
People & committees
Rep. Newhouse, Dan [R-WA-4] · R–WA
Legislative record
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Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Financial Services, Foreign Affairs, and Intelligence (Permanent Select), for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Financial Services, Foreign Affairs, and Intelligence (Permanent Select), for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Financial Services, Foreign Affairs, and Intelligence (Permanent Select), for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Financial Services, Foreign Affairs, and Intelligence (Permanent Select), for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
Text links open the official source. We also preserved the text version used in the PlainBill explanation below.
Source last updated: Jan 10, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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PlainBill explanation
Based on the full Introduced in House · 2025-03-11 text. This explanation has not received human editorial review. This overview describes the proposal’s major provisions; it does not establish what its real-world effects would be.
The bill would create a federal task force to coordinate and conduct investigations, prosecutions and operations against illicit synthetic drug trafficking. It would bring together law enforcement, financial, diplomatic, defense and intelligence agencies, with particular attention to trafficking networks linked to China. Its authority would focus on suppliers and their networks; the bill would not authorize targeting people for personal drug use or pursuing low-level dealing without significant connections to larger trafficking networks.
There is established a Joint Task Force to Counter Illicit Synthetic Narcotics.
The primary mission of the JTF–ISN shall be to direct counter opioid and synthetic narcotics activities, including disruption activities and associated investigations, and provide strategic coordination on related activities, including sanctions enforcement, conducting joint operations, raids, and other tactical actions in coordination with Federal, State, territorial, Tribal, and local law enforcement agencies through memorandums of understanding such as legal actions against traffickers and foreign entities, particularly in the People’s Republic of China, complicit in the opioid trade.
(4) The Department of State. (5) The Department of Commerce. (6) The Department of Defense. (7) The Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
Nothing in this Act shall be construed to authorize the JTF–ISN to investigate, target, or prosecute individuals for personal drug use or to pursue enforcement actions against low-level drug dealing that does not involve significant connections to larger trafficking networks.
The bill's findings describe an opioid crisis and assert that agencies lack a central entity at the appropriate level to share information and coordinate their response. These are Congress's proposed findings, not demonstrated effects of creating the task force.
Congress finds the following: (1) The United States is experiencing a crisis of substance abuse and addiction resulting in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people of the United States. Most of these deaths involve some form of opioids.
(3) No central entity exists at the appropriate level whereby different agencies can share information and coordinate efforts to combat the opioid crisis.
The definition of an illicit synthetic narcotic lists controlled substances, listed chemicals and ingredients or chemicals used to produce them. The controlled-substance part excludes substances of natural origin and medications that are both lawful under U.S. law and covered by a Drug Enforcement Administration import permit issued to the importing organization. The bill borrows the meanings of controlled substance and listed chemical from existing law.
The terms controlled substance and listed chemical have the meanings given the terms in section 102 of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 802).
The term illicit synthetic narcotic means— (A) a controlled substance with the exception of— (i) a substance of natural origin; or (ii) a medication— (I) that is lawful under the laws of the United States; and (II) for which the Drug Enforcement Administration has provided an import permit to the importing organization for the import of the medication; (B) a listed chemical; and (C) an active pharmaceutical ingredient or chemical that is used in the production of a controlled substance or listed chemical in subparagraphs (A) and (B).
The task force would include representatives from Justice, Treasury, Homeland Security, State, Commerce, Defense and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. The director could add other agencies. Specified participants include federal investigators, prosecutors, financial enforcement offices, border authorities and the Coast Guard.
The JTF–ISN shall be composed of representatives of the following entities: (1) The Department of Justice, including— (A) the Drug Enforcement Administration; (B) the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and (C) assistant United States attorneys and trial attorneys, as the Director determines are appropriate.
(2) The Department of the Treasury, including— (A) the Counter-Fentanyl Strike Force; (B) the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation; (C) the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network; (D) the Office of Foreign Assets Control; and (E) Office of Intelligence and Analysis. (3) The Department of Homeland Security, including— (A) Homeland Security Investigations; (B) U.S. Customs and Border Protection, including the National Targeting Center; (C) Immigration and Customs Enforcement; and (D) the United States Coast Guard.
(4) The Department of State. (5) The Department of Commerce. (6) The Department of Defense. (7) The Office of the Director of National Intelligence. (8) Any other agency the Director deems appropriate.
The President would appoint the director with Senate approval. The director would report to the Attorney General and receive the statutory Level II salary for senior executive officials; the bill does not state a dollar amount.
The JTF–ISN shall be led by a Director who shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate.
The Director shall be compensated at the rate of basic pay prescribed for level II of the Executive Schedule under section 5313 of title 5, United States Code.
The Director shall report to the Attorney General.
The director would have to report to four specified congressional committees within 180 days after enactment and every 180 days afterward. A committee chair or ranking member could also require a briefing.
Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, and every 180 days thereafter, the Director shall submit to the Committee on the Judiciary and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on the Judiciary and the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives a report, and upon request of the chairman or ranking member of any such committee, a briefing
Reports and briefings would include a two-year plan, goals, areas for better agency cooperation, estimated funding and staffing needs, and annual budget priorities. They would also describe investigations and prosecutions, raids, property seized or forfeited, formal criminal charges, convictions and efforts concerning China's role in the opioid crisis. These reporting requirements do not themselves provide funding.
(A) a comprehensive plan covering the 2-year period beginning on the date on which the report is submitted or the briefing is made, as applicable, that includes— (i) a description of the goals of the JTF–ISN; (ii) description of areas of improvement with respect to collaboration among the participating agencies; and (iii) an estimate of the funding and staff needed for the continued work of the JTF–ISN; (B) a statement of the budget priorities of the JTF–ISN for each year in the 2-year period;
(C) a description of the efforts of the JTF–ISN to investigate and prosecute illicit synthetic narcotics trafficking crimes, including raids conducted, assets seized, assets forfeited and indictments brought and convictions; and (D) efforts of the JTF–ISN to address matters related to the role of the People’s Republic of China in the opioids crisis.
The task force's mission would include directing counter-opioid and synthetic drug activities, coordinating sanctions enforcement and conducting joint operations and raids. It would coordinate with federal, state, territorial, Tribal and local law enforcement through written interagency agreements, with particular attention to foreign entities in China involved in the opioid trade.
The primary mission of the JTF–ISN shall be to direct counter opioid and synthetic narcotics activities, including disruption activities and associated investigations, and provide strategic coordination on related activities, including sanctions enforcement, conducting joint operations, raids, and other tactical actions in coordination with Federal, State, territorial, Tribal, and local law enforcement agencies through memorandums of understanding such as legal actions against traffickers and foreign entities, particularly in the People’s Republic of China, complicit in the opioid trade.
The task force would receive authority to investigate and prosecute federal violations involving illicit synthetic drug trafficking and related offenses, including money laundering and other financial crimes. The authority would also cover smuggling, false statements and matters arising or potentially arising directly from its investigations.
The JTF–ISN shall be vested with power and authority to— (1) investigate and prosecute violations of Federal law relating to— (A) the trafficking of illicit synthetic narcotics and related offenses, such as money laundering and other financial crimes; and (B) smuggling, false statements, and any matter that arises or might arises directly from its investigations;
For prosecutions relating to non-U.S. persons outside the United States, the bill would allow a case in the federal judicial district where the crime occurred, where the Drug Enforcement Administration is located, or in a district described in an existing federal statute. That statute's district-selection rules are not reproduced in the bundle.
(2) in the case of a prosecution relating to non-United States persons outside of the United States, bring a case— (A) in the district where the crime was committed; (B) in the district where the Drug Enforcement Administration is located; or (C) in a district described in section 3238 of title 18, United States Code;
The task force would have authority to facilitate timely information sharing among members and establish procedures for referring cases to prosecutors and authorities responsible for imposing sanctions.
(3) facilitate the sharing of information between members of the JTF–ISN in a timely manner; (4) establish protocols for interagency referrals and procedures for referring cases to prosecuting and sanctions designating authorities as appropriate;
The task force would have authority to develop strategies addressing China's role, cooperate with state, territorial, Tribal and local law enforcement, and assess and improve existing investigative and prosecution methods.
(5) develop strategies to address the role of the People’s Republic of China in the illicit synthetic narcotics crisis; (6) work cooperatively with State, territorial, Tribal, and local law enforcement agencies to combat and prosecute trafficking of illicit synthetic narcotics; (7) assess and improve existing methods of investigating and prosecuting illicit synthetic narcotics trafficking crimes;
The task force could conduct operations, raids and other tactical actions against trafficking networks. The director could not direct operational activities outside counter-opioid efforts concerning illicit synthetic drug suppliers and their networks under the task force's primary missions.
(8) conduct direct operational activities, including joint operations, raids, and other tactical actions, to disrupt illicit synthetic narcotics trafficking networks and bring offenders to justice.
The Director may not direct the execution of operational activities outside the scope of counter-opioid efforts related to illicit synthetic narcotics suppliers and their networks pursuant to the primary missions of the JTF–ISN.
The director would have to maintain an intelligence coordination unit with primary responsibility across the federal government for analyzing illicit synthetic drugs and related trafficking organizations. Its analysis would draw on intelligence collected both inside and outside the United States.
The Director shall establish and maintain within the JTF–ISN an intelligence coordination element, which shall have primary responsibility within the United States Government for analysis of illicit synthetic narcotics and related trafficking organizations from all sources of intelligence, whether collected inside or outside the United States.
A required planning unit would prepare strategic plans for federal counter-opioid operations, specifying objectives, tasks, coordination and agency responsibilities. The director would monitor implementation and obtain relevant progress information from intelligence agencies and other federal bodies.
The Director shall establish and maintain within the JTF–ISN a strategic operational planning element, which shall provide strategic operational plans for counter-opioid operations conducted by the United States Government, and include the mission, objectives to be achieved, tasks to be performed, interagency coordination of operational activities, and the assignment of roles and responsibilities.
The Director shall monitor the implementation of strategic operational plans and shall obtain information from each element of the intelligence community, and from each other department, agency, or element of the United States Government relevant for monitoring the progress of such entity in implementing such plans.
The director would have to maintain a legal advice office and an office to coordinate communications with Congress and ensure compliance with reporting and briefing requirements.
The Director shall establish and maintain within the JTF–ISN an Office of General Counsel, which shall provide legal advice in support of the JTF–ISN and its directorates.
The Director shall establish and maintain within the JTF–ISN an Office of Congressional Coordination, which shall coordinate communications of the JFT–ISN with Congress and ensure compliance with reporting and briefing obligations under this Act.
Task force members would retain their existing authority to investigate and prosecute illicit synthetic drug trafficking crimes.
Each member of the JTF–ISN shall maintain their existing authorities to investigate and prosecute trafficking crimes relating to illicit synthetic narcotics.
The bill would not authorize the task force to investigate, target or prosecute people for personal drug use. It also would not authorize enforcement against low-level dealing without significant connections to larger trafficking networks. This limits authority under this bill rather than granting general immunity from drug laws.
Nothing in this Act shall be construed to authorize the JTF–ISN to investigate, target, or prosecute individuals for personal drug use or to pursue enforcement actions against low-level drug dealing that does not involve significant connections to larger trafficking networks.
The supplied official-actions snapshot, updated January 10, 2026, records introduction in the House on March 11, 2025, and referral that day to the Judiciary, Financial Services, Foreign Affairs and Intelligence committees. This snapshot does not establish later action or enactment.
Source snapshot updated 2026-01-10T07:25:08Z.
2025-03-11: Introduced in House
2025-03-11: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Financial Services, Foreign Affairs, and Intelligence (Permanent Select), for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
A closer look
Reviewed version: Introduced in House · 2025-03-11. These findings describe provisions and who may benefit; they are not judgments of waste, corruption, or motive.
This review covers the supplied bill text. “None identified” does not rule out provisions in later versions or accompanying reports and disclosures.
Provisions outside the bill’s main subject, or policy changes attached to appropriations.
None identified in the reviewed text
No unrelated provision or policy rider attached to appropriations was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion does not establish absence in other versions or accompanying materials.
Spending directed to particular recipients or places outside ordinary competitive or formula-based allocation.
None identified in the reviewed text
No congressionally directed spending for particular recipients or places was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion does not establish absence in other versions or accompanying materials, and formal earmark disclosures are not supplied.
Narrow exceptions, exemptions, or preferential treatment that warrant a closer look.
None identified in the reviewed text
No materially narrow preferential benefit was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. Ordinary limits on the task force's coverage and enforcement authority do not alone establish preferential treatment. This conclusion is limited to this version.
Full text preserved for this analysis. Legislative record snapshot: Jan 10, 2026. How PlainBill uses AI