A Republican bill with 2 Democratic cosponsors · See all 5 cosponsors
Last activity — Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Stephen Hacala Poppy Seed Safety Act aims to prohibit the sale of food containing unsafe poppy seeds. The bill seeks to establish specific safety levels for contamination of poppy seeds by morphine, codeine, and other illicit compounds. Once these levels are exceeded, the seeds will be considered adulterated substances prohibited in interstate commerce. The Secretary of Health and Human Services is tasked with creating and finalizing these safety rules. This legislation follows findings regarding deaths from morphine intoxication and issues such as positive opiate tests in childbirth and among servicemembers.
Yes· 3 of 4
- Scored +7
Does this give people more protection from unfair business practices?
The bill enhances consumer safety by regulating contaminated food products to prevent death and illness.
- Scored +6
Would women be better off under this?
The bill aims to prevent the unwarranted scrutiny of women at childbirth caused by opiate tests from poppy seed consumption.
- Scored +6
Does this do more about addiction and overdose deaths?
The bill mitigates opioid-related risks by regulating contaminated poppy seeds that cause overdoses.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Prevention of death and overdose: The bill addresses the risk of death from morphine intoxication caused by contaminated poppy seeds, which has resulted in at least 19 confirmed deaths in the United States (Section 2(a)).
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Reduction of unwarranted scrutiny for mothers: By regulating these seeds, the bill targets the issue of women testing positive for opiates at childbirth due to food consumption, which currently leads to unwarranted scrutiny from child welfare officials (Section 2(a)).
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Protection for servicemembers: The regulation aims to mitigate the risk of positive drug tests for servicemembers who have been warned by the Department of Defense to avoid poppy seed consumption due to opiate contamination (Section 2(a)).
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Establishment of safety standards: The Act requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish specific levels of contamination for morphine, codeine, and other alkaloid compounds to determine when seeds are considered adulterated (Section 3(1)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- No specific negative impacts are explicitly detailed in the text provided.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this give people more protection from unfair business practices? — The bill enhances consumer safety by regulating contaminated food products to prevent death and illness.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would women be better off under this? — The bill aims to prevent the unwarranted scrutiny of women at childbirth caused by opiate tests from poppy seed consumption.
- Healthcare
- Does this do more about addiction and overdose deaths? — The bill mitigates opioid-related risks by regulating contaminated poppy seeds that cause overdoses.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this give the federal government more power? — The bill expands federal regulatory oversight of food safety standards regarding poppy seeds.
- 8/26/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 4/2/2025
- Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
- 4 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in House
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Eric CrawfordRepublican · Arkansas
Rosa DeLauroDemocrat · Connecticut
J. HillRepublican · Arkansas
Eugene VindmanDemocrat · Virginia
Bruce WestermanRepublican · Arkansas