Congresswoman Harriet Hageman Reintroduces the Fight Illicit Pill Presses Act

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Harriet Hageman (R-WY) and Congresswoman Melanie Stansbury (D-NM) reintroduced the Fight Illicit Pill Presses Act, legislation designed to help law enforcement crack down on the production of counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl.

This legislation is both bipartisan and bicameral, with Reps. Fry (R-SC), Crenshaw (R-TX), and Harder (D-CA) cosponsoring in the House of Representatives, and Senators Cornyn (R-TX) and Coons (D-DE) introducing the Senate version alongside Senators Moran (R-KS), Fetterman (D-PA), Tillis (R-NC), Klobuchar (D-MN), McCormick (R-PA), Gallego (D-AZ), Cantwell (D-WA), and Blackburn (R-TN).

The Fight Illicit Pill Presses Act would amend the Controlled Substances Act to add a serialization requirement for pill presses and punches. It prohibits the removal or alteration of these serial numbers and prohibits the distribution of machines with tampered serial numbers.

“Fentanyl continues to devastate communities across America,” said Rep. Hageman. “Cartels are using pill presses to disguise deadly fentanyl as legitimate prescription drugs. This bill gives law enforcement stronger tools to trace this equipment and hold traffickers accountable. It is a commonsense solution to protect our families and stop these poisonous pills at their source.”

“The fentanyl epidemic is killing our community. We have to use every tool available to stop criminals who are poisoning our families, starting with taking down the counterfeit pill industry,” said Rep. Harder. “Drug dealers make millions of lethal pills by using pill presses – this bill cuts off that supply and makes it easier for law enforcement to catch these heartless criminals."

Background:

Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid up to 50 times stronger than heroin, is increasingly found in counterfeit pills made to look like legitimate medications such as OxyContin, Percocet, and Vicodin. According to the DEA, 7 out of 10 seized fake pills contain a potentially lethal dose of fentanyl. In 2024 alone, the DEA seized more than 61.1 million fake pills.

Criminal organizations use pill presses, along with dies and punches, to create pills nearly identical to legitimate pharmaceuticals. While these machines have lawful uses in pharmaceutical manufacturing, they have been co-opted by drug traffickers to mass-produce deadly counterfeit drugs.

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