Official Legislative Verbiage Excerpt
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5744 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 5744
To require a GAO study on the sale of illicit drugs online, and for
other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
October 10, 2025
Mr. Vindman (for himself and Mr. Crenshaw) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and
in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration
of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee
concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require a GAO study on the sale of illicit drugs online, and for
other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Targeting Online Sales of Fentanyl
Act''.
SEC. 2. GAO STUDY ON THE SALE OF ILLICIT DRUGS ONLINE.
(a) Study.--The Comptroller General of the United States shall
conduct a study on the online sale of fentanyl, synthetic opioids, and
methamphetamine, including--
(1) business models employed by online sellers of fentanyl,
synthetic opioids, and methamphetamine, including an
examination of supply chains, logistics, and strategies
utilized for customer acquisition, retention, and communication
within illicit online marketplaces;
(2) utilization of online illicit drug markets and
providers (as defined in section 2258E of title 18, United
States Code) for facilitating financial transactions in the
online sale of fentanyl, synthetic opioids, and
methamphetamine, with a particular focus on their impact on
individuals who are 18 years of age and younger;
(3) efforts of the Federal Government to combat the online
sale of fentanyl, synthetic opioids, and methamphetamine,
including--
(A) interagency collaboration, including personnel
detailed to other agencies to support efforts to combat
the online trafficking of fentanyl, synthetic opioids,
and methamphetamine, and related illicit finance;
(B) intergovernmental collaboration between the
Federal Government and State, Tribal, local, and
foreign governments;
(C) intersectoral collaboration with the private
sector, including businesses and non-governmental
organizations;
(D) examination of existing procedures followed by
Federal law enforcement agencies in handling cases
related to online sales of fentanyl, synthetic opioids,
and methamphetamine, encompassing the receipt,
investigation, and prosecution processes;
(E) analysis of aggregated outcomes from the past
10 years to identify patterns and areas for
improvement; and
(F) identification of gaps or resource deficiencies
in coordinating and collaborating activities described
in subparagraphs (A) through (E) to combat the online
sale of fentanyl, synthetic opioids, and
methamphetamine;
(4) models utilized by providers, including machine
learning, algorithmic technology, and data analysis techniques,
to effectively detect and combat the sale of fentanyl,
synthetic opioids, and methamphetamine on their platforms;
(5) enforcement mechanisms and processes employed by
providers to penalize users involved in the sale of fentanyl,
synthetic opioids, and methamphetamine, including user
identification, verification procedures, and subsequent
actions, such as account suspension, reporting to law
enforcement agencies, and collaboration with legal proceedings;
and
(6) analysis of referrals to the Federal Government by
providers detailing information about online sales of fentanyl,
synthetic opioids, and methamphetamine, including--
(A) the number of referrals from providers to the
Federal Government;
(B) the number of referrals that were investigated
by the Federal Government, including the agencies
involved in the investigation and the outcome of the
investigation;
(C) the number of referrals that resulted in an
arrest, prosecution, or conviction, including the
offense of the arrest, prosecution, or conviction; and
(D) the number of referrals that were shared by the
Federal Government with a State, Tribal, or local
government, including a law enforcement agency or
prosecutor's office.
(b) Report Required.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States
shall submit to Congress a report containing all findings and
determinations made in carrying out the study required under subsection
(a).
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