PRESS Act

Ashley Moody

Republican · FL · Senator

Source: Congress.gov · FEC

5 cosponsors on record at Congress.gov. The named list is syncing into Govwatch and will appear here shortly — view on Congress.gov in the meantime.

Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

2026-04-30

Source: Congress.gov

The proposal would make it illegal to bring pill press machines into the United States if they're intended to be used for making fake or illegal drugs, closing a loophole that currently allows these machines to be imported. This would help law enforcement crack down on criminal operations that manufacture counterfeit medications and illicit drugs, protecting public health by making it harder for drug makers to produce and distribute dangerous fake pills.

AI-assisted summary generated from the official bill metadata (title, subjects, actions) sourced from Congress.gov. Cached and reviewed. Always verify against the official text linked below.

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [S. 4446 Introduced in Senate (IS)] <DOC> 119th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 4446 To amend the Controlled Substances Act to prevent the importation of illicit pill press machines with the intent to counterfeit substances, and for other purposes. _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES April 30, 2026 Mrs. Moody introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary _______________________________________________________________________ A BILL To amend the Controlled Substances Act to prevent the importation of illicit pill press machines with the intent to counterfeit substances, 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 ``Preventing Rogue Equipment for Synthetic Substances Act'' or the ``PRESS Act''. SEC. 2. PROVIDING FOR EXTRATERRITORIAL JURISDICTION. (a) Possession, Manufacture, or Distribution for Purposes of Unlawful Importation.--Section 1009 of the Controlled Substances Import and Export Act (21 U.S.C. 959) is amended-- (1) by redesignating subsections (c) and (d) as subsections (d) and (e), respectively; (2) by inserting after subsection (b) the following: ``(c) It shall be unlawful for any person to manufacture or distribute a tableting machine, encapsulating machine, press punch, die system, gelatin capsule, or any equipment, chemical, product, or material-- ``(1) intending or knowing that it will be used to manufacture a controlled substance or listed chemical; and ``(2) intending, knowing, or having reasonable cause to believe that the controlled substance or listed chemical will be unlawfully imported into the United States.''; and (3) in subsection (d), as so redesignated-- (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``or'' at the end; (B) in paragraph (2), by striking the period at the end and inserting ``; or''; and (C) by adding at the end the following: ``(3) manufacture or distribute a tableting machine, encapsulating machine, press punch, die system, gelatin capsule, or any equipment, chemical, product, or material-- ``(A) intending or knowing that it will be used to manufacture a controlled substance or listed chemical; and ``(B) intending, knowing, or having reasonable cause to believe that the controlled substance or listed chemical will be unlawfully imported into the United States.''. (b) Prohibited Acts.--Section 1010 of the Controlled Substances Import and Export Act (21 U.S.C. 960) is amended-- (1) in subsection (d)-- (A) in paragraph (6), by striking ``or'' at the end; (B) in paragraph (7)-- (i) by striking ``section 959 of this title'' and inserting ``section 1009''; and (ii) by striking the period at the end and inserting ``; or''; (C) by inserting after paragraph (7) the following: ``(8) manufactures or distributes a tableting machine, encapsulating machine, press punch, die system, gelatin capsule, or any equipment, chemical, product, or material in violation of subsection (c) of section 1009,''; and (D) in the matter following paragraph (8), as added by subparagraph (C) of this paragraph, by striking ``shall be fined'' and all that follows through ``or both'' and inserting the following: ``shall be fined in accordance with title 18, United States Code, imprisoned for the applicable period described in subsection (e), or both''; and (2) by adding at the end the following: ``(e) The applicable period described in this subsection is as follows: ``(1) In the case of a violation of paragraph (1) or (3) of subsection (d) involving a list I chemical, not more than 20 years. ``(2) Subject to paragraph (4), in the case of a violation of paragraph (7) of subsection (d), not more than 10 years. ``(3) Subject to paragraph (4), in…

the case of a violation of paragraph (8) of subsection (d), not more than 8 years. ``(4) In the case of a violation of paragraph (7) or (8) of subsection (d) that involves more than 1,000 kilograms of a chemical or product or more than 100 machines that are tableting machines or encapsulating machines, not more than 15 years. ``(5) In the case of a violation of subsection (d) other than a violation of paragraph (1), (3), (7), or (8) of such subsection, not more than 10 years.''. (c) United States Sentencing Commission.--Pursuant to its authority under section 994(p) of title 28, United States Code, the United States Sentencing Commission shall review and amend the Federal sentencing guidelines and policy statements of the Commission, as appropriate, in accordance with this Act and the amendments made by this Act. <all>

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