S.Amdt. 1255

This amendment, submitted by Mr. Hawley, adds a new section to the bill that requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to submit a report to Congress. This report must state the amount of fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances that crossed the southern international land border of the United States.

• The first report is required not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, and the reports must continue annually thereafter.
• Each report will cover the amount of these substances that crossed the border during the year preceding submission of the report.

Purpose and Changes to the Bill

The purpose of the amendment is to hold officials and trade partners accountable by linking border security directly to trade taxes. It aims to add the authority for the President to take financial action if illegal drugs continue to flow across the border.

• If a report shows that the amount of fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances did not decrease relative to the preceding year, the President has the authority to impose additional duties on imports of goods from Mexico.
• These new taxes would be in addition to the duties on such goods in effect on the date of the report.