Texas Bill Enables Prosecutors to Hand Down Murder Charges for Producing, Selling Fentanyl

Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw speaks with Gov. Greg Abbott at a news conference to discuss measures to address the problem of fentanyl in the state, in Beaumont, Texas, on Oct. 17, 2022. Brandon Bell/Getty Images

The Texas Senate voted unanimously on March 15 to pass a bill that would increase the penalties for the manufacturing or distribution of fentanyl, including tougher penalties when an individual overdoses and dies.

Senate Bill 645 was introduced by state Sen. Joan Huffman, a Republican, as part of the state’s tough-on-drugs approach amid the opioid epidemic.