The Texas Senate passed a "Combating Fentanyl" bill Wednesday that would open the door for state prosecutors to charge fentanyl distributors with murder.
Senate Bill 645, introduced by Sen. Joan Huffman, a Republican representing the Houston area, would change the classification of drug overdoses to "poisonings," according to the Texas Tribune.
"We have tragically learned the extent of how dangerous fentanyl is and how even under 1 gram is so dangerous," Huffman said Wednesday, introducing the bill. "It’s a fact that fentanyl is flooding our borders. It is absolutely, without a doubt killing our citizens on a daily basis. And it’s time that we take a comprehensive approach to combat this."
The bill unanimously cleared the Senate and will head to the state legislature.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott celebrated the bill’s passage in a tweet late Wednesday night.
"Here we go!" Abbott tweeted. "You kill Texans with fentanyl. You get charged with murder."
