Arkansas U.S. Senator Tom and colleagues announced the passage of the bipartisan Fentanyl Sanctions Act, part of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020, which passed the Senate Thursday afternoon by a vote of 86-8.

The senators’ bill would hold China and other countries accountable for their commitments to crack down on producers and traffickers of fentanyl and other deadly synthetic opioids, pushing China’s government to honor their commitment to enforce new laws declaring all fentanyl derivatives illegal. Additionally, the legislation would provide the U.S. government with more tools and resources to sanction illicit traffickers from China, Mexico, and other countries-a critical effort, in light of the steep rise in devastating fentanyl overdose deaths.      MORE