Transnational Drug Trafficking Act of 2015
Public Law 114-154 · S. 32 · 114th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Barack Obama (D) on May 16, 2016 · Crime and Law Enforcement
Sponsor: Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)
Cosponsors (9): Sen. Tom Udall, Sen. Richard Blumenthal,
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Transnational Drug Trafficking Act of 2015
(Sec. 2) This bill amends the Controlled Substances Import and Export Act to broaden the scope of persons subject to criminal prosecution for manufacturing or distributing a controlled substance in schedule I or II, a precursor chemical, or flunitrazepam for unlawful import into the United States. The Controlled Substances Act classifies drugs, substances, and chemicals used to make drugs into one of five schedules based on the drug's medical use, potential for abuse, and risk of dependence.
Current law prohibits such manufacture or distribution by a person who knows or intends that the substance or chemical will be unlawfully imported. This bill broadens the scope to also prohibit such manufacture or distribution by a person who reasonably believes that the substance or chemical will be unlawfully imported.
In addition, this bill prohibits the manufacture or distribution of a precursor chemical by a person who: (1) knows or intends that the chemical will be used to manufacture a controlled substance; and (2) knows, intends, or reasonably believes that the controlled substance will be unlawfully imported into the United States.
(Sec. 3) The legislation amends the federal criminal code to replace statutory references to prohibited trafficking in a "counterfeit drug" with references to prohibited trafficking in a "drug that uses a counterfeit mark on or in connection with the drug."
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
- Judiciary Committee · House · referred toSubcommittee: Crime and Federal Government Surveillance Subcommittee
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Related bills
2 bills the Library of Congress relates to this one.
H.R. 3380Identical billRelated bill
Transnational Drug Trafficking Act of 2015
S. 524 · became Public Law 114-198Related bill
Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2016
Data notes
Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 23 actions.
- May 16, 2016Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 114-154.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- May 13, 2016FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- May 10, 2016FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 32.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Goodlatte moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
- Nov 17, 2015CommitteeCommittee · Committee on United States Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control. Hearings held.
- CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Senate United States Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control
- Nov 3, 2015CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations.
- Oct 9, 2015CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
- Oct 8, 2015FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- FloorFloor · Received in the House.
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- Oct 7, 2015FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- Sep 17, 2015CalendarCalendar · Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 232.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee on the Judiciary. Reported by Senator Grassley without amendment. Without written report.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee on the Judiciary. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
- Jan 13, 2015CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary by unanimous consent.
- CommitteeCommittee · Senate Committee on Finance discharged by Unanimous Consent.
- Jan 6, 2015CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S18-19)
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in Senate
Data notes
Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.
Amendments
No amendments to this bill are on record.
Data notes
Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.
Official record
The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.