NBC29: Rep. Spanberger’s bill to combat illicit fentanyl trafficking signed into law

NBC29, ISABEL CLEARY

7th District Representative Abigail Spanberger is working to keep fentanyl out of the United States through her new legislation, the “Securing America’s Borders Against Fentanyl Act.”

The act was included in the defense authorization signed into law by President Biden.

The bipartisan bill will help the U.S. Department of Homeland Security develop new technology to detect trafficked fentanyl at U.S. borders and ports of entry.

“Small amounts of this drug can kill so many Americans but can also be trafficked easily because of its potency, because of its size, and so it’s important that CBP [Customs and Border Protection] have the advanced technologies necessary to detect it,” Spanberger said.

Rep. Spanberger says that in Virginia, fentanyl is contributing to overdose rates and this bill is just one of the ways to help impacted communities.