Pill presses and encapsulating machines — the industrial equipment used to manufacture counterfeit pills, including fentanyl-laced tablets — would need permanent serial numbers under this bill, which amends the Controlled Substances Act. Manufacturers, distributors, importers, exporters, and brokers who deal in these machines or their critical parts (upper punches, lower punches, and dies) must engrave or affix a serial number and report each regulated transaction, including that serial number, to the Attorney General. The Attorney General has 180 days after enactment to issue implementing regulations, including guidance for tagging equipment made before the law takes effect. The bill also makes it a federal offense to remove, alter, or obliterate a required serial number, or to knowingly transport, sell, or possess a machine or part whose serial number has been tampered with. These changes are aimed at helping law enforcement trace pill-press equipment used in the illegal drug supply chain, particularly for counterfeit fentanyl pills.
Congressional Summary
Fight Illicit Pill Presses ActThis bill broadens the scope of pill machines that are subject to regulation under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). The bill also requires regulated machines to have serial numbers and imposes criminal penalties for conduct involving the removal of serial numbers or the transportation of regulated machines knowing the serial numbers have been removed.Currently, the CSA requires persons who manufacture, distribute, import, export, or purchase certain regulated machines to keep records of and report on transactions involving the machines. Currently, the term regulated machines includes tableting machines and encapsulating machines.This bill requires persons who sell or deliver regulated machines to comply with the CSA's recordkeeping and reporting requirements, in addition to persons who manufacture, distribute, import, export, or purchase them.The bill also expands regulated machines, for which transactions must be recorded and reported, to include critical parts of tableting and encapsulating machines such as dies used to mold pills and punches used to imprint markings and logos onto pills.The bill requires serial numbers to be permanently affixed to encapsulating machines, tableting machines, and critical parts of tableting and encapsulating machines.Finally, the bill prohibits, subject to criminal penalties, the (1) removal, alteration, or obliteration of any serial number affixed to a tableting machine, encapsulating machine, or a critical part; or (2) transportation, shipment, receipt, possession, distribution, delivery, sale, import, or export of any tableting machine, encapsulating machine, or critical part knowing the serial number has been removed, altered, or obliterated.
Details
- Congress
- 119th
- Chamber
- House
- Status
- summarized
- Action
- Introduced in House
- Action Date
- 2025-10-31
- Date Added
- 2026-07-07
- Source
- Congress.gov →
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