S 2870 — Fight Illicit Pill Presses Act

Summary

Fight Illicit Pill Presses ActThis bill broadens the scope of pill machines that are subject to regulation under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). The bill also requires regulated machines to have serial numbers and imposes criminal penalties for conduct involving the removal of serial numbers or the transportation of regulated machines knowing the serial numbers have been removed.Currently, the CSA requires persons who manufacture, distribute, import, export, or purchase certain regulated machines to keep records of and report on transactions involving the machines. Currently, the term regulated machines includes tableting machines and encapsulating machines.This bill requires persons who sell or deliver regulated machines to comply with the CSA's recordkeeping and reporting requirements, in addition to persons who manufacture, distribute, import, export, or purchase them.The bill also expands regulated machines, for which transactions must be recorded and reported, to include critical parts of tableting and encapsulating machines such as dies used to mold pills and punches used to imprint markings and logos onto pills.The bill requires serial numbers to be permanently affixed to encapsulating machines, tableting machines, and critical parts of tableting and encapsulating machines.Finally, the bill prohibits, subject to criminal penalties, the (1) removal, alteration, or obliteration of any serial number affixed to a tableting machine, encapsulating machine, or a critical part; or (2) transportation, shipment, receipt, possession, distribution, delivery, sale, import, or export of any tableting machine, encapsulating machine, or critical part knowing the serial number has been removed, altered, or obliterated.

Bill Text

• Introduced Introduced in Senate Current html September 18, 2025

Compared against current U.S. Code AI-generated reading aid — verify against the official bill.

The bill requires regulated persons to identify tableting machines and encapsulating machines by serial number and establishes new prohibitions related to the alteration and trafficking of such machines.

• 21 U.S.C. 802

  The term 'regulated person' means a person who-- → The term 'regulated person' means a person who-- (A) manufactures, distributes, imports, or exports a listed chemical; (B) manufactures, distributes, delivers, sells, imports, or exports a tableting machine, an encapsulating machine, or a critical part; or (C) who acts as a broker or trader for an international transaction involving a listed chemical, a tableting machine, an encapsulating machine, or a critical part.

  This change expands the definition of a regulated person to include activities related to tableting machines and encapsulating machines.

• 21 U.S.C. 802

  a distribution, delivery, sale, importation, or exportation of a tableting machine, encapsulating machine, or critical part. → a distribution, delivery, sale, importation, or exportation of a tableting machine, encapsulating machine, or critical part.

  The bill clarifies the scope of regulated activities involving tableting machines and encapsulating machines.

• 21 U.S.C. 830(a)

  Each regulated person who manufactures, distributes, delivers, sells, imports, or exports a tableting machine, an encapsulating machine, a critical part of a tableting machine, or a critical part of an encapsulating machine shall, when and as required by regulations of the Attorney General, identify the tableting machine, encapsulating machine, critical part of a tableting machine, or critical part of an encapsulating machine by means of a serial number that is engraved, cast, or otherwise permanently affixed to a nonremovable part of the tableting machine, encapsulating machine, or critical part of a tableting machine, or critical part of an encapsulating machine.

  This establishes a requirement for regulated persons to use serial numbers for tracking tableting and encapsulating machines.

• 21 U.S.C. 830(b)(1)

  any regulated transaction in a tableting machine, encapsulating machine, or critical part. → any regulated transaction in a tableting machine, encapsulating machine, or critical part, including the serial number affixed to the tableting machine, encapsulating machine, or critical part.

  This change mandates reporting of serial numbers during transactions involving these machines.

• 21 U.S.C. 843(a)

  to remove, alter, or obliterate any serial number affixed to a tableting machine, encapsulating machine, a critical part of a tableting machine, or a critical part of an encapsulating machine, that is required to have a serial number and with reasonable cause to believe the serial number is so required;

  This establishes new prohibitions against removing or altering required serial numbers on regulated machines.

• 21 U.S.C. 843(a)

  to transport, ship, receive, possess, distribute, deliver, sell, import, or export any tableting machine, encapsulating machine, a critical part of a tableting machine, or a critical part of an encapsulating machine that is required to have a serial number, knowing that the serial number has been removed, altered, or obliterated, and with reasonable cause to believe the serial number is so required.

  This creates a new offense related to handling machines with missing or altered serial numbers.

Action History

1. September 18, 2025

   Introduced in Senate

2. September 18, 2025

   Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Sponsors

• John Cornyn · Primary
• Christopher A. Coons · Cosponsor
• Jerry Moran · Cosponsor
• John Fetterman · Cosponsor
• Thomas Tillis · Cosponsor
• Amy Klobuchar · Cosponsor
• David McCormick · Cosponsor
• Ruben Gallego · Cosponsor
• Maria Cantwell · Cosponsor
• Marsha Blackburn · Cosponsor
• Shelley Moore Capito · Cosponsor
• Catherine Cortez Masto · Cosponsor
• Cindy Hyde-Smith · Cosponsor
• King, Angus S., Jr. · Cosponsor

Subjects