TITLE
RESOLUTION URGING THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS TO ENACT SENATE BILL 4446 (THE �PRESS ACT�), OR SIMILAR LEGISLATION, PROHIBITING THE IMPORTATION AND MANUFACTURING OF PILL PRESS MACHINES AND CHEMICAL PRODUCTS WITH THE INTENT TO COUNTERFEIT SUBSTANCES

BODY
WHEREAS, the opioid epidemic has been long recognized as a national health crisis, and the United States continues to face the challenges that the rise of fentanyl and other synthetic opioids poses across communities nationwide, including increases in overdoses and losses of life; and
WHEREAS, Florida and the County have actively fought the opioid epidemic for years, giving law enforcement agencies the necessary resources to intercept opioids, conducting educational campaigns, and supporting harm-reduction tragedies; and
WHEREAS, one of the most dangerous threats associated with synthetic opioids is their unknown presence in counterfeit pills, which are pills pressed and mislabeled to resemble other drugs (both regulated and illegal); and
WHEREAS, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has stated that counterfeit pills often contain lethal doses of fentanyl; and
WHEREAS, U.S. Senator Ashley Moody (R - FL), as the former attorney general of Florida, has long fought the trafficking of illicit synthetic drugs at the state and federal level as a prosecutor and a member of the U.S. Congress; and
WHEREAS, Senator Moody has explained that criminal networks trafficking synthetic opioids use pill pressing machines, which depend on specialized equipment and chemical products to manufacture, process, and distribute synthetic counterfeit pills at large scale; and
WHEREAS, Senator Moody has also explained that parts of pill pressing machines are smuggled through ports and customs, often being mislabeled as furniture parts or machine spare parts and later assembled in our country for the purpose of mass producing these counterfeit pills; and
WHEREAS, Senator Moody has further noted that pill pressing machines can make an average of 5,000 counterfeit pills per hour, with larger machines being able to make up to 15,000 pills per hour; and
WHEREAS, on April 30, 2026, Senator Moody filed Senate Bill 4446 (the �PRESS Act�) which prohibits the importation of illicit pill press machines and chemical products with the intent to counterfeit substances; and
WHEREAS, the PRESS Acts intends to provide law enforcement agencies with crucial tools to disrupt these criminal networks by regulating and restricting access to equipment and chemical products commonly used in the illicit production of counterfeit pills, preventing these drugs from reaching our streets; and
WHEREAS, this Board supports the continued efforts at the local, state, and federal level to combat the opioid epidemic and believes that the PRESS Act will allow law enforcement agencies to disrupt the supply-chain of synthetic opioids and prevent these substances from reaching our communities,

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA, that this Board:
Section 1. Urges the United States Congress to enact Senate Bill 4446 (the �PRESS Act�), or similar legislation, prohibiting the importation and manufacturing of pill press machines and chemical products with the intent to counterfeit substances.
Section 2. Directs the Clerk of the Board to transmit a certified copy of this resolution to U.S. Senator Ashley Moody, and the remaining Members of the Florida Congressional Delegation.
Section 3. Directs the County�s federal lobbyists to advocate for the action described in section 1 above, and authorizes and directs the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs to amend the 2026 Federal Legislative Package to include this item.