Georgia Sen. Russ Goodman, R-Cogdell, is sponsoring legislation that would stiffen criminal penalties for fentanyl offenses.
The “Fentanyl Eradication and Removal Act” would continue the “efforts the Senate led on in 2024 to address fentanyl deaths in Georgia, with the passage of Austin’s Law,” Lt. Governor Burt Jones said in a Monday statement. “The proposed legislation complements our ongoing priority to combat opioid abuse across the state and to hold those who poison our communities with illicit substances like fentanyl accountable to the fullest extent of the law.
“Many of these criminals are bringing this poison across the border illegally,” Jones added. “Georgia will continue to fight back. With the support of President Trump and the new Administration working tirelessly to secure the border, this is a fight we can and must win. This legislation and the enforcement of ‘Austin’s Law’ will help to prevent the senseless deaths of Georgians.”
The measure would remove fentanyl from Georgia’s current statutes relating to possessing, selling, distributing, manufacturing, and trafficking opiates. Instead, it would create a separate schedule of offenses specific to fentanyl and its related substances.
If approved, the bill would go into effect on July 1.
