Public Health
In a bid to extend authorization of and funding for a program supporting state-developed stockpiles of critical drugs, vaccines and other medical supplies, U.S. Reps. Early Carter (R-GA) and Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) introduced the State Strategic Stockpile Act (H.R. 3631) last week.
Such... Read More »
A group of legislators are espousing the benefits of legislation that would bolster rural access to emergency air medical services critical to saving lives.
U.S. Reps. Ron Estes (R-KS) and Suzan DelBene (D-WA) recently joined U.S. Sens. Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) to... Read More »
Through reintroduction of the VA Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Processing Claims Improvement Act, U.S. Sens. Mike Rounds (R-SD) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) seek to spur better training for staff at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) tasked with handling post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)... Read More »
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials have commended San Diego Field Office personnel for seizing $7.8 million worth of dangerous drugs in the week leading up to Memorial Day.
“Narcotics smuggling continues to be on the rise and our officers will relentlessly continue doing everything... Read More »
U.S. Reps. Bob Latta (R-OH) and Morgan Griffith (R-VA) are commending House of Representatives colleagues after approving their legislation addressing the permanent scheduling of fentanyl analogues.
The lawmakers noted the Halt All Lethal Trafficking of (HALT) Fentanyl Act would permanently... Read More »
Under a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) launched last week, the Center for Forecasting and Outbreak Analytics (CFA) announced efforts to strengthen outbreak response among decision makers through creation of a disease forecasting network.
CFA is a part of the Centers for Disease Control... Read More »
Fearing the proliferation of illicit versions of the drug xylazine – or tranq – and its effects on the U.S. public, the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) wrote to Congressional leaders last week urging passage of the Combating Illicit Xylazine Act (H.R. 1839).
The legislation... Read More »
The Enhancing DHS Drug Seizures Act (S.1464) advanced to the Senate floor last week, after approval from the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, which is chaired its author, U.S. Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI).
Together with co-author U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO), Peters created a... Read More »
In a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, U.S. Sens. Mike Rounds (R-SD) and Joe Manchin (D-WV) urged the Department of State to take steps to hold China accountable for the precursor chemicals used by Mexican drug cartels in the manufacture of synthetic opioids.
The pair proposed... Read More »
U.S. Reps. Young Kim (R-CA), Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-MO), Andy Barr (R-KY) and Zach Nunn (R-IA) recently introduced the Stop Fentanyl Money Laundering Act, which targets money laundering within the fentanyl trafficking trade.
“We cannot allow foreign drug manufacturers, money launderers, and... Read More »
U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) is seeking methods to bolster portable drug detection system capabilities.
DHS personnel indicated the agency is collaborating with the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) to... Read More »
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) reported the results of its year-long Operation Last Mile this week, touting millions of fentanyl pills and pounds of fentanyl power, methamphetamine, firearms and cash seized, alongside thousands of arrests made.
Operation Last Mile was a targeted... Read More »
U.S. Reps. Dave Joyce (R-OH) and Dean Phillips (D-MN) are espousing the benefits of the recently introduced School Access to Naloxone Act - maintaining the bill would reduce student opioid overdose deaths.
“The number of young Americans dying due to an overdose doubled in 2020, underscoring... Read More »
In a bid to improve Department of Homeland Security (DHS) detection and interdiction capabilities for illicit drugs and their precursor chemicals, U.S. Sens. Gary Peters (D-MI) and Josh Hawley (R-MO) reintroduced the Enhancing DHS Drug Seizures Act last week.
Although the legislation was... Read More »
Justice Department officials have detailed the results of Operation SpecTor - described by authorities as a globally coordinated effort spanning three continents to disrupt dark web fentanyl and opioid trafficking.
“Operation SpecTor was a coordinated international law enforcement effort,... Read More »
Following up on a request for information (RFI) from U.S. Rep. Marionette Miller-Meeks (R-IA), in which she pushed for changes at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security delivered a proposal for a well-funded, appropriately authorized and... Read More »
Worried about the growing illicit use of the animal tranquilizer Xylazine, also known as Tranq, a group of senators and representatives introduced the TRANQ Research Act of 2023 this week to mandate the creation of new tests for its detection and improve understanding overall.
In the Senate,... Read More »
U.S. Sens. Todd Young (R-IN), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), and eight colleagues are espousing the benefits of reintroducing the Stop Fentanyl Border Crossings Act.
Specifically, the legislation adds drug smuggling as an additional basis for Title 42 immigration enforcement authority, preserving for... Read More »
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is espousing the benefits of its 24th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on April 22.
“Thanks to our local and state partners, we collected in the past event in October more than 33,500 pounds," DEA Washington Division Special Agent in Charge... Read More »
Due to the rising threat of cyberattacks against the health and public health sector, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) this week released three new resources under its HHS 405(d) Program to aid cybersecurity efforts.
Together with the Health Sector Coordinating Council... Read More »
Xylazine, a non-opioid tranquilizer approved for veterinary use, was recently declared an emerging threat to the United States by Dr. Rahul Gupta, director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), when combined with fentanyl.
While never approved for human use,... Read More »
The rising dependence that the United States has on many Chinese pharmaceuticals is worsening the nation’s drug shortage and creating a national security risk that several members of Congress want to disrupt.
Lawmakers, in fact, have introduced legislation in Congress from both sides of the... Read More »
U.S. Reps. Michael C. Burgess (R-TX) and Kathy Castor (D-FL) recently reintroduced the MISSION Zero Act, which would aid in addressing the emergency room care gap.
The bill would enable the Department of Defense (DoD) to continue assigning trauma surgeons to civilian trauma centers.
“The... Read More »
A bipartisan group of lawmakers recently introduced the Combating Illicit Xylazine Act, which seeks to classify the drug under Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act.
U.S. Reps. August Pfluger (R-TX), Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Ken Buck (R-CO), and Chris Pappas (D-NH)... Read More »
U.S. Reps. Morgan Griffith (R-VA) and Bob Latta (R-OH) are commending the House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee's advancement of legislation addressing fentanyl analogues permanent scheduling.
Bill proponents indicated the Halt All Lethal Trafficking of (HALT) Fentanyl Act... Read More »
By measuring states’ current emergency readiness levels and data on weather-related disasters, vaccinations, and more, a new report from the nonprofit health policy organization Trust for America’s Health made a case for strengthening public health preparedness.
Of the greatest concerns to... Read More »
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials recently announced the thwarting of three recent major narcotics smuggling attempts
worth more than $5.7 million via the San Diego Field Office.
The first seizure involved a driver identified as a 25-year-old female in possession of a valid... Read More »
In its first week, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Operation Blue Lotus nabbed more than 900 pounds of fentanyl at the border in a major cooperative effort by federal, state, Tribal, and local partners.
“This Administration has a multi-pronged strategy to combat the scourge... Read More »
Responding to the severity of cyber threats to the healthcare sector, United States Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI), Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, convened a hearing this week to address those threats and what the government and providers can do to stop... Read More »
In the 2023 Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA), released last week, the U.S. Intelligence community made Anomalous Health Incidents (AHIs) – formerly and more popularly known as the Havana Syndrome – a primary focus, laying out the case that foreign adversaries are not likely behind the... Read More »
Hoping to address vulnerabilities in health systems throughout the United States, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a new cybersecurity implementation framework this week with specific steps for public and private healthcare organizations to pursue.
“Cyber incidents... Read More »
With a reauthorization due date of Sept. 30, 2023, for the Pandemic and All Hazards Preparedness Act (PAHPA), two House Energy and Commerce Committee members sought this week to get ahead of the issue with a request for information from public and private interests.
“Throughout COVID-19, our... Read More »
The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) is attributing a successful three-year investigation targeting the Sinaloa Drug Cartel to partnerships with the Arizona Attorney General’s Office and the Tempe Police Department.
To date, more than 150 individuals have been charged, with investigators having... Read More »
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) officials are espousing the benefits of its Fieldable Solutions for Hemorrhage with bio-Artificial Resuscitation Products (FSHARP) program, which addresses blood supply shortages.
“When blood donations decline – as we have seen during the... Read More »
U.S. Reps. Morgan Griffith (R-VA), Bob Latta (R-OH), and Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) recently introduced the Halt All Lethal Trafficking of (HALT) Fentanyl Act, which seeks to permanently schedule fentanyl analogues while granting researchers the ability to conduct fentanyl substance... Read More »
