January 21, 2026
Mr. McDowell (for himself, Mrs. Bice, Mr. Weber of Texas, Mr. Jack, Ms. Tenney, Mr. Yakym, Mr. Goldman of Texas, Mr. Harrigan, Mr. Nehls, Mr. Edwards, Mr. Stutzman, and Mr. Carey) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
To amend the Controlled Substances Act to prevent the importation of illicit pill press machines with the intent to counterfeit substances, and for other purposes.
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Preventing Rogue Equipment for Synthetic Substances Act
or the PRESS Act
.
Sec. 2. Providing for extraterritorial jurisdiction
(a) Possession, manufacture, or distribution for purposes of unlawful importation
Section 1009 of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 959) is amended—
(1)
by redesignating subsections (c) and (d) as subsections (d) and (e), respectively;
(2)
by inserting after subsection (b) the following:
(c)
It shall be unlawful for any person to manufacture or distribute a tableting machine, encapsulating machine, press punch, die system, gelatin capsule, or any equipment, chemical, product, or material—
(1)
intending or knowing that it will be used to manufacture a controlled substance or listed chemical; and
(2)
intending, knowing, or having reasonable cause to believe that the controlled substance or listed chemical will be unlawfully imported into the United States.; and
(3)
in subsection (d)—
(A)
in paragraph (1), by striking or
at the end;
(B)
in paragraph (2), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; or
; and
(C)
by adding at the end the following:
(3)
manufacture or distribute a tableting machine, encapsulating machine, press punch, die system, gelatin capsule, or any equipment, chemical, product, or material—
(A)
intending or knowing that it will be used to manufacture a controlled substance or listed chemical; and
(B)
intending, knowing, or having reasonable cause to believe that the controlled substance or listed chemical will be unlawfully imported into the United States.
(b) Prohibited acts
Section 1010 of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 960) is amended—
(1)
in subsection (d)—
(A)
in paragraph (6), by striking or
at the end;
(B)
in paragraph (7)—
(i)
by striking section 959 of this title
and inserting section 1009
; and
(ii)
by striking the period at the end and inserting ; or
;
(C)
by inserting after paragraph (7) the following:
(8)
manufactures or distributes a tableting machine, encapsulating machine, press punch, die system, gelatin capsule, or any equipment, chemical, product, or material in violation of subsection (c) of section 1009,; and
(D)
in the matter following paragraph (8), as so inserted, by striking shall be fined
and all that follows through or both
and inserting the following: shall be fined in accordance with title 18, United States Code, imprisoned for the applicable period described in subsection (e), or both
; and
(2)
by adding at the end the following:
(e)
The applicable period described in this subsection is the following:
(1)
In the case of a violation of paragraph (1) or (3) of subsection (d) involving a list I chemical, not more than 20 years.
(2)
Subject to paragraph (4), in the case of a violation of paragraph (7) of subsection (d), not more than 10 years.
(3)
Subject to paragraph (4), in the case of a violation of paragraph (8) of subsection (d), not more than 8 years.
(4)
In the case of a violation of paragraph (7) or (8) of subsection (d) that involves more than 1,000 kilograms of a chemical or product or more than 100 machines that are tableting machines or encapsulating machines, not more than 15 years.
(5)
In the case of a violation of subsection (d) other than a violation of paragraph (1), (3), (7), or (8) of such subsection, not more than 10 years.
(c) United States Sentencing Commission
Pursuant to its authority under section 994(p) of title 28, United States Code, the United States Sentencing Commission shall review and amend the Federal sentencing guidelines and policy statements of the Commission, as appropriate, in accordance with this Act and the amendments made by this Act.