Washington, DC. — In a rare display of bipartisan cooperation, dozens of Democrats joined their Republican counterparts in passing a bill focused on fentanyl-related drug penalties. This legislation aims to address the growing concerns surrounding the illicit use and distribution of fentanyl, a potent synthetic opioid linked to a significant rise in overdose deaths across the United States.
The recently passed bill has potential implications for fentanyl dealers in California, where the impact of this dangerous drug has been particularly severe. Here are some key points on how the bill might affect fentanyl dealers in the state:
Increased Penalties: The bill likely includes provisions that would enhance penalties for fentanyl-related offenses. This could lead to stricter sentences and harsher consequences for individuals involved in the illegal production, distribution, and sale of fentanyl in California.
Sentencing Guidelines: The legislation might establish specific sentencing guidelines that judges must consider when dealing with fentanyl-related cases. These guidelines could aim to ensure more consistent and severe punishments for offenders involved in fentanyl trafficking or sales.
The HALT Fentanyl Act still has to pass in the Senate and has a good chance. Biden has given his nod that he will sign the bill into law. Stay tuned.
Fentanyl Bills PASSED
AB 19 – Requires schools to keep Narcan available on campus.
AB 33 – Creates a Fentanyl Addiction and Overdose Prevention Task Force.
AB 461 – Makes fentanyl test strips available on college campuses.
AB 474 – Fosters cooperation between the State Threat Assessment Center and local law enforcement for fentanyl enforcement.
AB 701 – Creates a sentencing enhancement for possessing enough fentanyl to kill at least half a million people.
AB 889 – Ensures parents are taught about the dangers of fentanyl.
AB 890 – Creates a fentanyl-specific probation class for those convicted of fentanyl crimes.
AB 915 – Teaches students to recognize overdoses and how to use Narcan.
AB 1060 – Requires insurers to cover the cost of Narcan.
The Alexander Neville Foundation and VOID held a successful rally in Santa Monica outside of Snapchat’s headquarters to save our youth. The group received widespread news coverage. The event, which aimed to pressure Snapchat to adopt a Duty of Care and 3rd party auditing, attracted a large number of attendees and featured several guest speakers who shared their experiences and insights.
Among the speakers were Marc Berkman from the Organization for Social Media Safety, Dr. Laura Berman and Sam Chapman from Parents for Safer Children, and Rose Bronstein from Buckets Over Bullying. They spoke passionately about the need for social media platforms to do more to protect young people from exploitation, drug deaths, and other harms that occur via their platforms.
The rally also highlighted the ease with which drug dealers, sex traffickers, bullies, and other types of exploitation can use Snapchat and other social media platforms to target vulnerable young people. This message resonated with attendees, many of whom shared their own stories of online exploitation or the exploitation of loved ones.
The event was covered by several news outlets, and the message of the rally reached a wide audience. Many media outlets reported on the urgent need for social media platforms to take more responsibility for the safety of their users, especially young people.
The success of the rally was a testament to the dedication of the Alexander Neville Foundation and VOID, who are committed to raising awareness about the dangers of social media exploitation. Their efforts to pressure Snapchat to do more to protect young people are an important step in creating a safer and more supportive online community for all.
