Senators Marshall & Shaheen Reintroduce Bill to Crack Down on Illegal Drug Activity on Social Media
Washington – On Thursday, U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas), joined by Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-New Hampshire), reintroduced the Cooper Davis and Devin Norring Act, which would require social media companies and other communication service providers to take on a more active role in working with federal agencies to combat the illegal sale and distribution of drugs on their platforms. This critical data will also empower state and local law enforcement to combat fake fentanyl-laced pills and prosecute those who prey on America’s youth.
“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 Cooper Davis and Devin Norring Act is named after two young men who both tragically lost their lives to fentanyl poisoning after purchasing a pill from social media.
Cooper Davis from Johnson County, KS, tragically lost his life to fentanyl poisoning in the summer of 2021. Cooper died after taking half a fake pill that contained a lethal dose of fentanyl, which was believed to be purchased from a Missouri drug dealer through the social media platform Snapchat. Following his passing, Cooper’s family launched the non-profit ‘Keepin’ Clean for Coop’ to keep his memory alive to save lives, raise awareness, and educate students and families.
Devin Norring was a 19-year-old from Hastings, Minnesota, who unexpectedly died from fentanyl poisoning in 2020. In his honor, his family started the Devin J. Norring Foundation to raise awareness about the dangers of dealers selling fake pills and other illicit substances online.
The bill is cosponsored by Senators Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Dick Durbin (D-Illinois), Todd Young (R-Indiana), and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota).
“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.”
“For too long social media companies have turned a blind eye to drug dealers who use their platforms to sell deadly drugs like fentanyl,” said Senator Klobuchar. “The Cooper Davis and Devin Norring Act cracks down on the sale of fentanyl through social media platforms by requiring these companies to report to the DEA when they know drugs are being sold on their platforms.”
The legislation is supported by the families of Cooper Davis and Devin Norring, as well as National HIDTA Directors Association, Snapchat, Partnership for Safe Medicine, the U.S. Deputy Sherriff’s Association, The Alliance for Safe Online Pharmacies, Mothers Against Prescription Drug Abuse, the Community Anti-Drug Coalition Association, the Alexander Neville Foundation, the National FOP, and the Kansas Sheriffs Association.
“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 legislators to come together and get this bipartisan bill across the finish line so that countless children can be saved, theirs being no exception.”
“Our family & the Devin J. Norring Foundation wholeheartedly support the Cooper Davis & Devin Norring Act – legislation that serves as a critical step toward protecting families from the deadly threat of fentanyl sold through social media,” said The Family of Devin J. Norring & the Devin J. Norring Foundation. “This bill honors the lives of Cooper and Devin by holding tech companies accountable and giving law enforcement the tools they need to respond to this crisis. No parent should have to search for answers in a system that shields predators. It’s time for truth, transparency, and action.”
Click here to read the full bill text.
Background:
- In recent years, organized drug cartels have dominated fentanyl trafficking in the country, and they have set up large, sophisticated distribution networks online via social media.
- In investigating fentanyl-related poisoning and deaths in teenagers and young adults, law enforcement agencies have found an alarming rate of these deadly pills acquired through platforms like TikTok and Snapchat. Unfortunately, federal agencies do not have the data to intervene and prevent these illegal activities.
- The Cooper Davis Act would require social media companies and other communication service providers to take on a more active role in working with federal agencies to combat the illegal sale and distribution of drugs on their platforms. This critical data will also empower state and local law enforcement to combat fake fentanyl-laced pills and prosecute those who prey on America’s youth.
- Fentanyl remains the most dangerous drug threat facing Americans, and fatal poisonings are the fastest-growing among adolescents, teenagers, and young adults.
- After a decrease of deaths involving opioids from an estimated 83,140 in 2023 to 54,743 in 2024, drug-related deaths are rising across the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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Contact: Payton Fuller
