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Missouri bill would lower trafficking thresholds for fentanyl, raising some penalties to class A felony
Summary
Representative Haley presented House Bill 16-25 to lower the quantity thresholds that trigger first- and second-degree fentanyl trafficking charges and to add carfentanil; sponsors cited high overdose deaths and sought stiffer penalties for distributors. Members asked drafting and threshold questions and requested clarifications ahead of further consideration.
Representative Haley told the committee that House Bill 16-25 would lower the amounts that trigger first- and second-degree drug-trafficking charges for fentanyl and related synthetic opioids and add carfentanil to the statute. "We want to lower this because there were many cases that... drug dealers knew what they were doing," Haley said, arguing the change is aimed at distributors who mix small amounts of fentanyl into other drugs and cause fatal overdoses.
Haley summarized prior legislative progress: the bill had broad support in earlier sessions and was adjusted to include carfentanil and revised quantity thresholds that would, in some cases, elevate offenses to class A felonies. He cited statewide overdose figures during committee remarks: 1,948 drug-overdose deaths in Missouri in 2023 and 1,450 deaths in the most recent year on record (2024) for synthetic opioids, which he used to justify strengthened penalties.
Committee members generally expressed support for tougher penalties but asked for drafting and proportionality checks. Representative Bosley and others raised concerns about climbing to class A felony exposure for amounts that could be very small by weight; Representative Bannerman pointed to potential drafting conflicts between statutory sections 579.065 and 579.068 (noting differing carfentanil amount references) and asked the sponsor to revisit the bill language to remove possible inconsistencies.
Haley said he would review the drafting details with prosecutors and make minor changes where needed; he also welcomed offline conversations about felony class thresholds. No formal committee vote occurred at the hearing; the sponsor indicated prior votes in earlier sessions but sought committee support to move the measure forward again.
