Sunflower State News

U.S. Senators Roger Marshall (R-Kansas) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-New Hampshire) have reintroduced the Cooper Davis and Devin Norring Act, a bill that would require social media companies and communication service providers to report suspected illegal drug activity on their platforms to law enforcement agencies. The legislation aims to help federal, state, and local authorities combat the sale of fentanyl-laced pills and prosecute individuals targeting young people online.

“For four years, Joe Biden’s reckless open borders allowed fentanyl to flood our communities, creating a crisis in every state. We still lose a Kansan a day to fentanyl poisoning,” said Senator Marshall. “Cooper Davis was a bright young man from Johnson County who tragically died from a pill laced with fentanyl purchased on the social media platform: Snapchat. The Cooper Davis and Devin Norring Act requires social media platforms to report any drug activity on their platform to law enforcement. We will not rest in our fight until no Kansan loses their life to fentanyl poisoning.”

“In recent years, we’ve seen the startling role that social media has played in fueling the substance use disorder crisis impacting New Hampshire by making it easier for young people to get their hands on these dangerous drugs. It’s past time that Congress step in to put a stop to it,” said Senator Shaheen. “Our bipartisan bill would hold social media companies accountable in keeping our kids safe by requiring that they report certain illicit drug activity on their platforms and work with law enforcement to stop it. Families and communities across this country have dealt with enough heartbreak – as the substance use epidemic evolves, so must our response.”

The act is named after Cooper Davis of Kansas and Devin Norring of Minnesota, both of whom died from fentanyl poisoning after purchasing pills through social media platforms such as Snapchat. In response, both families established foundations—Keepin’ Clean for Coop and the Devin J. Norring Foundation—to raise awareness about counterfeit pills sold online.

Senators Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Dick Durbin (D-Illinois), Todd Young (R-Indiana), and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota) are cosponsoring the bill.

“Fentanyl overdoses claim the lives of tens-of-thousands of Americans each year, many of whom suffered accidental poisonings after taking deadly pills marketed on social media platforms,” said Senator Grassley. “After successfully passing the HALT Fentanyl Act into law, Senate Republicans are continuing to advance legislation to combat America’s fentanyl crisis and save lives. Congress must hold Big Tech accountable for its ongoing role in the illicit drug trade.”

“Today, it is all too easy for drug dealers to target kids through social media platforms while Big Tech stands idly by. Devastation caused by fentanyl-laced pills is both tragic and preventable. We need an all-hands-on-deck approach to hold Big Tech accountable for the unlawful drug activity that takes place online,” said Senator Durbin. “By requiring social media companies to report illicit fentanyl trafficking occurring on their platforms, the bipartisan Cooper Davis and Devin Norring Act will equip law enforcement with the information they need to actively fight fentanyl and protect the most vulnerable Americans, our kids.”

“Fentanyl is devastating communities in Indiana and across our nation, and we need to do more to address the flow of these drugs, including distribution via social media, that are poisoning young Americans,” said Senator Young. “The Cooper Davis and Devin Norring Act will give law enforcement officials more tools to combat the illegal sale and distribution of drugs.”

Supporters of the bill include advocacy organizations such as National HIDTA Directors Association, Partnership for Safe Medicine, Mothers Against Prescription Drug Abuse, Community Anti-Drug Coalition Association, Alexander Neville Foundation, National FOP, Kansas Sheriffs Association; technology company Snapchat; law enforcement groups; pharmacy safety alliances; as well as families affected by synthetic opioid deaths.

“Our family continues to be extremely grateful for Senator Marshall and his colleague’s dedication to this legislation. We are both honored and saddened to have another name, Devin Norring, added to this bill,” said Libby Davis, Mother of Cooper Davis.“However, the harsh reality is that there are thousands of other teenagers’ names that could be added to this bill because they too lost their lives in this same tragic way. Each with a story demonstrating that this can happen to ANY FAMILY.We, as parents and grandparents, do so many things to keep our kids safe, from baby gates, car seats,and seatbelts,to bike helmets,sunscreen,and vaccinations.This is no different.We need our legislatorsto come togetherand getthisbipartisanbillacrossthefinishlinesothatcountlesschildrencanbesaved,theirsbeingnoexception.”

“Our family & the Devin J.Norring Foundation wholeheartedly supporttheCooperDavis&DevinNorringAct–legislationthatservesasacriticalsteptowardprotectingfamiliesfromthedeadlythreatoffentanylsoldthroughsocialmedia,”saidTheFamilyofDevinJ.Norring&theDevinJ.NorringFoundation.“ThisbillhonorsthelivesofCooperandDevinbyholdingtechcompaniesaccountableandgivinglawenforcementthetoolstheyneedtorespondtothiscrisis.Noparentshouldhavetosearchforanswersinasystemthatshields predators.It’stimefortruth , transparency ,andaction .”

More information about counterfeit prescription pills containing fentanyl can be found at https://www.dea.gov/onepill.