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Lawmakers hear bill to make possession of pill presses a class C felony to curb counterfeit fentanyl pills
Summary
At a May 28 public hearing, lawmakers heard testimony on House Bill 2,175, which would create a class C felony for possessing or trafficking pill presses used to produce counterfeit pills that may contain fentanyl; law enforcement urged the measure, while members asked about legitimate uses and enforcement limits.
SALEM, Ore. — Lawmakers opened a public hearing May 28 on House Bill 2,175, legislation that would make possessing, purchasing, making, delivering or selling a pill press or similar equipment a class C felony in Oregon.
Supporters told the Joint Committee on Addiction and Community Safety Response the measure is aimed at disrupting production of counterfeit pills often laced with fentanyl and other synthetic opioids that have driven overdose deaths in Oregon.
Representative Jeff Helfrich, the bill sponsor, said the measure targets machines used to manufacture counterfeit pills. “Our aim is to solve the problem of counterfeit pills being created that are claiming lives in our state,” Helfrich said, citing Oregon Health Authority figures that overdose deaths rose from about 280 in…
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