House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Passes Congressman McDowell’s Bill to Strengthen Coast Guard Overdose Response

Washington, D.C. – Today, the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure passed H.R. 2351 by a unanimous vote. The legislation, introduced by Congressman Addison McDowell (R-NC), strengthens maritime law enforcement and the Coast Guard’s ability to respond to opioid overdoses, especially those involving fentanyl. After this vote, Congressman McDowell released the following statement.

“The Coast Guard is on the front lines of the fight against fentanyl,” said Congressman McDowell. “They’re stopping traffickers at sea and saving lives in the process. This bill makes sure they have the tools to do both, when an overdose happens on board, there’s no time to wait.”

H.R. 2351 strengthens the Coast Guard’s ability to respond to drug trafficking by clarifying the Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act to give the Coast Guard broader authority to prosecute cases where illicit drugs were discovered aboard unmanned vessels, as well as cases where drugs were smuggled onboard a vessel without the crew’s knowledge. It also brings the Coast Guard’s overdose response policy in line with best practices already adopted by other branches of the Armed Services by requiring naloxone to be available wherever the Coast Guard operates, ensuring that key safety tools remain available in the event of a worst-case scenario.

The bill passed with unanimous support and will now advance to the full House for further consideration.

Read the full bill text here.