This targets illicit "pill press" operations — machines used to stamp powder into tablets or capsules, including counterfeit pills often laced with fentanyl. Manufacturers, distributors, sellers, and importers of tableting and encapsulating machines, plus critical parts like punches and dies, would have to engrave a permanent serial number on each unit and report sales to the Attorney General. It also creates new federal crimes for removing or altering those serial numbers, or for knowingly buying or selling machines with a removed serial number. The Attorney General has 180 days after enactment to write the implementing rules, including guidance for machines already in the field. The requirements fall on equipment makers and dealers, not on everyday consumers, and are meant to help law enforcement trace machines used in illegal pill manufacturing.
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
- Senate
- Status
- summarized
- Action
- Introduced in Senate
- Action Date
- 2025-09-18
- Date Added
- 2026-07-02
- Source
- Congress.gov →
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