PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.
H.R.3205 / 118th Congress

Project Precursor Act

Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute (Amended) by Voice Vote.

Official summary

Version 00 · Introduced in House · May 11, 2023

Project Precursor Act

This bill requires and authorizes actions to address fentanyl trafficking.

The President must impose visa- and property-blocking sanctions on foreign persons (i.e., individuals and entities) knowingly involved in (1) the trafficking of fentanyl, fentanyl precursors, or related opioids by a transnational criminal organization; or (2) the activities of a transnational criminal organization relating to such trafficking. (Transnational criminal organizations are defined to include certain organizations, such as the Sinaloa Cartel.)

Showing the opening paragraphs of the official summary.

Read full official summaryShow less

The bill also

authorizes the Department of State to carry out a program to build the capacity of Mexican law enforcement agencies to prevent the trafficking of fentanyl and its precursor chemicals into the United States;

requires the State Department to prioritize Mexico in all efforts to combat the international trafficking of fentanyl and other synthetic drugs by providing technical assistance and equipment and carrying out exchange programs;

requires the State Department to conduct a public relations campaign to delegitimize Mexican transnational criminal organizations involved in fentanyl trafficking and disrupt their ability to recruit new members;

requires the State Department to use the voice, vote, and influence of the United States to include fentanyl substances on the lists of toxic chemicals identified in the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). (Chemicals on the lists are subject to the CWC's verification processes to ensure that such chemicals are not used for prohibited purposes.)

Additionally, this bill extends the Fentanyl Sanctions Act to seven years after the date of enactment of this bill (the act is currently set to terminate on December 20, 2026).

Read the summary on Congress.gov
PlainBill analysis is coming later. This page presents official source data. We have not yet published a PlainBill explanation for this bill.

Who introduced it

Rep. McCaul, Michael T. [R-TX-10] · R–TX

Committees

  • Foreign Affairs Committee
  • Financial Services Committee
  • Oversight and Government Reform Committee
  • Judiciary Committee
15 cosponsorship records, including any withdrawals

Actions

A procedural vote is different from passage. Passage in one chamber does not establish enactment. Explore the glossary.

  1. Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute (Amended) by Voice Vote.

  2. Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.

  3. Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, Oversight and Accountability, and Financial Services, 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.

  4. Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, Oversight and Accountability, and Financial Services, 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.

  5. Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, Oversight and Accountability, and Financial Services, 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.

  6. Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, Oversight and Accountability, and Financial Services, 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.

  7. Introduced in House

  8. Introduced in House

Bill text & related measures

Text links open the official source. We currently store references to these documents.

Related bills identified by Congress.gov

No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.

Source last updated: May 27, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.

Explore the bill from different angles

Choose a perspective, copy a prompt, and paste it into your preferred AI. Each prompt includes the bill version and available official source links, and asks for counterarguments as well as supporting evidence.

Neutral evidence review

Objective

Analyze H.R.3205 as objectively as possible. Explain its main provisions, who would be affected, possible benefits and harms, implementation, exceptions, and uncertainties. Present the strongest arguments for and against it, and identify evidence needed to assess its public impact.

View full prompt & sources
Fairness and public impact

Progressive lens

Examine H.R.3205 through a progressive lens, focusing on fairness, access, economic inequality, and effects on vulnerable communities. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and distinguish stated goals from demonstrated outcomes.

View full prompt & sources
Institutions and government scope

Conservative lens

Examine H.R.3205 through a conservative lens, focusing on fiscal responsibility, institutional stability, federalism, and the scope of government. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and any provisions that challenge this perspective.

View full prompt & sources
Individual rights and government power

Liberty lens

Examine H.R.3205 through a civil-liberties and limited-government lens. Consider individual rights, privacy, voluntary choice, accountability, and government power. Explain tradeoffs, possible safeguards, and the strongest counterarguments without assuming the proposal is beneficial or harmful.

View full prompt & sources