Interdiction of Fentanyl in Federal Prisons Act

[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 5128 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 5128

    To require the Director of the Bureau of Prisons to develop and 
    implement a strategy to interdict illicit substances and other 
       contraband in the mail at Federal correctional facilities.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 19, 2024

Mr. Casey (for himself and Mr. Heinrich) introduced the following bill; 
  which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To require the Director of the Bureau of Prisons to develop and 
    implement a strategy to interdict illicit substances and other 
       contraband in the mail at Federal correctional facilities.

    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 ``Interdiction of Fentanyl in Federal 
Prisons Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Contraband.--The term ``contraband'' means any material 
        prohibited by law, regulation, or policy of the Bureau of 
        Prisons that can reasonably be expected to cause physical 
        injury or adversely affect the safety, security, or good order 
        of a facility operated by the Bureau of Prisons or the 
        protection of the public.
            (2) Illicit substance.--The term ``illicit substance'' has 
        the meaning given the term ``controlled substance'' in section 
        102 of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 802).
            (3) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of 
        the Bureau of Prisons.
            (4) Opioid.--The term ``opioid'' has the meaning given that 
        term in section 102 of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 
        802).

SEC. 3. STRATEGY TO INTERDICT ILLICIT SUBSTANCES AND OTHER CONTRABAND 
              IN POSTAL MAIL.

    (a) Evaluation.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Director shall evaluate--
            (1) the acquisition and deployment of equipment to 
        interdict illicit substances and other contraband by Federal 
        correctional facilities;
            (2) the use of technology services to scan mail by Federal 
        correctional facilities; and
            (3) whether any technology used by other Federal agencies 
        to intercept and interdict illicit substances and other 
        contraband in the mail may be used by the Bureau of Prisons.
    (b) Strategy.--Not later than 90 days after completing the 
evaluation under subsection (a), the Director shall submit to the 
Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate and the Committee on the 
Judiciary of the House of Representatives a strategy to provide each 
Federal correctional facility with capabilities necessary to--
            (1) protect staff and inmates from exposure and access to 
        illicit substances and other contraband, including opioids and 
        other narcotics, introduced to facilities through the mail;
            (2) ensure that--
                    (A) each inmate receives a digital copy of any mail 
                that is addressed to the inmate, consistent with the 
                law and the safety procedures implemented by the Bureau 
                of Prisons;
                    (B) as soon as practicable, the inmate receives the 
                original physical copy of the mail received in digital 
                format under subparagraph (A), consistent with the law 
                and the safety procedures implemented by the Bureau of 
                Prisons; and
                    (C) delivery to any inmate under subparagraphs (A) 
                and (B) is documented; and
            (3) achieve 100 percent scanning capacity of mail arriving 
        at all Federal correctional facilities.
    (c) Contents.--The strategy required under subsection (b) shall--
            (1) identify critical information technology, digital mail 
        scanning equipment, and mail scanning services necessary to 
        achieve the scanning capacity described in subsection (b)(3);
            (2) include an assessment of operational and logistical 
        considerations, including--
                    (A) prioritization of high security and large 
                inmate population facilities for digital mail scanning 
                infrastructure and security technology deployment;
                    (B) an assessment of any additional personnel and 
                technology training necessary to implement the 
                strategy; and
                    (C) requirements for the maintenance of scanning 
                equipment and periodic digital technology upgrades; and
            (3) include an equipment and technology budgetary proposal 
        for fiscal years 2025 through 2027 in order to fully implement 
        the strategy described under subsection (b).
    (d) Annual Progress Reports.--Not later than 1 year after the date 
on which the strategy under subsection (b) is submitted, and each year 
thereafter, the Director shall submit to the Committee on the Judiciary 
of the Senate and the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of 
Representatives a report on the efficiency of the strategy and the 
total quantity of illicit substances and other contraband detected in 
the mail at Federal correctional facilities.
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