The Georgia Senate passed a measure establishing stiffer criminal penalties for fentanyl offenses.
Senate Bill 79, the Fentanyl Eradication and Removal Act, removes fentanyl from Georgia’s current statutes relating to possessing, selling, distributing, manufacturing and trafficking opiates. Instead, it creates a separate schedule of offenses specific to fentanyl and its related substances.
“Last year, more than 55 million pills and nearly 8,000 pounds of fentanyl were seized by the DEA,” Republican Lt. Governor Burt Jones said in a statement. “Fentanyl is the deadliest drug and those who traffic this poison should be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law, and I will remain steadfast in my commitment to deliver on this promise.
“Too many Georgia families, along with those across the nation, have lost their loved ones to fentanyl and we must do all we can to get this drug off our streets,” Jones added. “I want to thank the families who have shared their stories and ensured that legislation like this is a priority and the [loved] ones they lost are never forgotten.”
If approved and signed into law, the measure would take effect on July 1 and apply to criminal offenses committed on or after that date. The measure now heads to the House for consideration.
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