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Bills/119th Congress · House

H.R. 7184

Introduced

PRESS Act

Sponsor
RAddison P. McDowell· North Carolina
Introduced
January 21, 2026
Policy area
Crime and Law Enforcement
Latest action
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, 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.January 21, 2026
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7184 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 7184

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 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

January 21, 2026

Mr. McDowell (for himself, Mrs. Bice, Mr. Weber of Texas, Mr. Jack, Ms. 
Tenney, Mr. Yakym, Mr. Goldman of Texas, Mr. Harrigan, Mr. Nehls, Mr. 
Edwards, Mr. Stutzman, and Mr. Carey) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in 
addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, 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

_______________________________________________________________________

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 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)--
(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 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 so 
inserted, 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 the 
following:
``(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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