S.Amdt. 1244

This amendment was submitted by Mr. Scott of Florida and Mr. Welch to the bill S. 331. It aims to improve how we collect data and handle information regarding opioid-related overdoses and fentanyl-related substances, making sure our officials are held accountable to better track and fight this crisis.

Here is what the amendment aims to change and add:

• Accurate Data on Opioid-related Overdoses: Allows the Attorney General to give grants to States, territories, and localities. This is to improve data and surveillance on opioid-related overdoses, such as postmortem toxicology testing, electronic death reporting, data linkage across systems, and data comprehensiveness on fatal and non-fatal overdoses.

• Law Enforcement Grants: Allows the Attorney General to give grants to local law enforcement and forensic labs in high-overdose communities for officer training to identify overdoses, upgrading systems for tracing drugs and processing samples for the National Forensic Laboratory Information System, and training to trace criminals through the darknet. It also requires Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers to train State and local agencies on tracking drug activity, and adds a new grant purpose for first responders to get training and resources for containment devices to prevent secondary exposure to fentanyl and other substances.

• Office of National Drug Control Policy Reform: Requires the Drug Enforcement Administration to create uniform reporting standards for entering purity, formulation, and weight data into the National Forensic Laboratory Information System, while clarifying this does not create new or increased reporting requirements for State or local labs.

• DEA Testing: Requires the Drug Enforcement Administration to include a specific line item for the Fentanyl Signature Profiling Program funding level in its submission to Congress during the annual budget process.