Scott Reintroduces Bill to Fight Online Fentanyl Sales

Senators Rick Scott (R-FL) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) have reintroduced a bill to curb the sale of fentanyl online. The legislation is known as the Stopping Online Confusion for Investigative Agencies and Law-enforcement by Maintaining Evidence Determined Interparty Arrangements (SOCIAL MEDIA) Act.

The SOCIAL MEDIA Act aims to promote collaboration and improve comprehensive strategies between law enforcement agencies and social media companies to grant the platforms the best chances to stem the sale of fentanyl online.

According to the previous versions of the bill, the SOCIAL MEDIA Act would allow for better law enforcement coordination in criminal cases with social media platforms by requiring 24/7 staffed-in-the-U.S.A. call centers for fielding information requests with clear guidelines for agencies to best expedite the process.

Sen. Scott declared that Congress must rise to the occasion and attempt to stop the "heartbreaking epidemic" that is the fentanyl crisis.

“As parents and grandparents, we do everything in our power to keep our kids safe, from the dangers in the world, including deadly drugs like fentanyl," said Sen. Scott. "The fentanyl crisis is a heartbreaking epidemic that’s killing more than 70,000 Americans every year – and while President Trump works hard to stop the flow of these drugs into our nation, Congress must take action on our end to address this crisis on every level."

Scott continued, sharing that social media has been a major player in the flow of illicit drugs like fentanyl and the time to do something about it is now.

"I’ve talked to so many parents and law enforcement officers about how these drugs are now making their way to our communities and in our kids’ hands through social media apps, with dealers specifically targeting kids, causing deadly overdoses and getting away with it," said Scott. "Enough is enough. Our bipartisan bill, the SOCIAL MEDIA Act will give law enforcement additional tools to combat deadly fentanyl sales online, hold drug dealers accountable and fight this epidemic to save lives.”

Moreover, Sen. Shaheen added, “The substance use crisis continues to wreak havoc in communities across New Hampshire – and tragically, we’ve seen how social media apps make it easier for young people to get their hands on deadly drugs like fentanyl. Our bipartisan SOCIAL MEDIA Act would crack down on the illicit drug sales happening on social media by strengthening coordination between law enforcement and social media companies to prevent future overdoses.”

The SOCIAL MEDIA Act has been read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.