Bill · S. 3134· Senate(119-S-3134)
Combating Counterfeit Pharmaceuticals Act of 2025
- Introduced
- 11/6/2025
- Last activity
- 11/6/2025 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
- Sponsored by
- Tom Cotton
- Cosponsors
- - 1 - 0
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Combating Counterfeit Pharmaceuticals Act of 2025 amends the Fentanyl Sanctions Act to target the trafficking of counterfeit drugs and copy-cat ingredients. It expands the scope of the law from focusing specifically on opioids to covering illicit drugs more broadly. The bill defines copy-cat ingredients as those that mimic approved prescription drugs but have different manufacturing processes or lower purity. It also allows the Director of National Intelligence to delegate certain duties to a designee. Additionally, it updates waivers for access to prescription medications based on the HHS drug shortage list.
Yes· 3 of 5
Does this do more about addiction and overdose deaths?+6
Expands sanctions and enforcement to include a broader range of illicit drugs beyond just opioids.
Does this give people more protection from unfair business practices?+5
Protects consumers from dangerous counterfeit and copy-cat pharmaceuticals.
Does this tighten control of the border?+4
Increases the government's ability to target illicit drug traffickers via sanctions.
The opposite
Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see?-3
Removes certain reporting requirements regarding the use of intelligence resources.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
-
Combatting Fake Medicines: By defining "counterfeit drug" and "copy-cat ingredient" in Section 2, the bill targets substances that mimic prescription drugs but are made with improper processes or lower quality, which could protect people from dangerous knockoff medications.
-
Broader Drug Enforcement: Section 5 replaces references to "opioid" with "illicit drug" throughout the Fentanyl Sanctions Act, which expands the government's ability to target a wider variety of illegal drug trafficking.
-
Prescription Medication Access: Section 4 limits waivers for prescription medications to those on the current drug shortage list maintained by the Secretary of Health and Human Services, which helps clarify access to needed medications during shortages.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
-
Broadened Sanctions Power: Section 5 changes "foreign opioid trafficker" to "foreign illicit drug trafficker," which expands the range of individuals and entities that can be targeted by sanctions.
-
Reduced Oversight of Intelligence Resources: Section 3(b) removes certain requirements from the program on the use of intelligence resources by striking subsections (b) and (c), which could reduce the specific rules governing how those resources are used.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Healthcare
- Improves Opioid Crisis Response+6Improves Healthcare Access+3
- Economy And Finance
- Improves Consumer Protection+5
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves Border Security+4
- Governance And Ideology
- Increases Federal Power+4Improves Government Transparency-3
- 11/6/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in Senate
Pete RickettsRepublican · Nebraska