Plain Language Summary
# STOP Act 2.0 Summary **What the bill does:** STOP Act 2.0 tightens rules around tracking packages coming into the United States from other countries. It builds on a 2018 law that requires detailed information about international mail shipments to help prevent dangerous items—especially synthetic opioids like fentanyl—from entering the U.S. The new bill would make it a crime to deliberately lie about where a package originates to dodge these tracking requirements, and it would eventually eliminate exceptions that allow certain countries to skip the information requirements. **Who it affects and key provisions:** The bill primarily impacts mail carriers, shipping companies, and international shippers who handle packages crossing U.S. borders.
It requires the Department of Homeland Security to regularly test packages and report results to Congress, and it allows law enforcement agencies and the Postal Service to work with private shipping companies to improve tracking. After five years, all countries would have to provide the same detailed package information—no exceptions. **Current status:** The bill is currently in committee (S 2725), meaning it hasn't advanced to a full Senate vote yet. It was introduced by Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota) and remains under review.
CRS Official Summary
STOP Act 2.0This bill revises requirements related to advance electronic data (AED) on international mail shipments. (The STOP Act of 2018 requires international mail shipments coming into the United States to have AED to address the threat of synthetic opioids and other dangerous items.)Specifically, the bill establishes a new criminal penalty for knowingly misrepresenting the country of origin of an international mail shipment in order to avoid AED requirements.Additionally, five years after enactment, the bill terminates U.S. Customs and Border Protection's (CBP's) authority to exclude countries from AED requirements.The bill establishes additional reporting requirements related to AED, including a requirement for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to report the results of randomized tests of packages entering the United States.Further, the bill authorizes DHS, the Department of Justice, and the U.S. Postal Service to enter into partnerships with private parcel services or other private information technology entities to develop technology and processes for identifying the origin of fentanyl, other synthetic opioids, and other narcotics and psychoactive substances.The bill also authorizes DHS to share with and receive information from foreign governments regarding (1) shippers with a history of transporting illegal substances, and (2) best practices for detecting the substances.CBP must train its officers in detecting illicit fentanyl and other synthetic opioids.Finally, the bill directs the Government Accountability Office to evaluate the implementation of the STOP Act of 2018.
Latest Action
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.