A Republican bill with 1 Democratic cosponsor · See all 2 cosponsors
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
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. This bill targets seeds contaminated with morphine, codeine, or other illicit compounds. The Secretary of Health and Human Services is tasked with establishing specific contamination levels to determine if seeds are adulterated. Once these levels are exceeded, the seeds would be prohibited in interstate commerce. This action follows findings of deaths and drug test issues related to contaminated seeds.
Yes· 3 of 4
- Scored +6
Does this do more about addiction and overdose deaths?
By regulating contaminated poppy seeds, the bill addresses a specific source of morphine intoxication and overdose risk.
- Scored +5
Would women be better off under this?
The bill helps women avoid unwarranted scrutiny from child welfare officials due to false positive opiate tests at childbirth.
- Scored +5
Does this give people more protection from unfair business practices?
The bill protects consumers by regulating adulterated food products containing unsafe levels of opiates.
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 seeks to address the risk of morphine intoxication and death caused by consuming contaminated poppy seeds (Section 2(a)(1), Section 2(a)(2), and Section 2(a)(5)).
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Reduction of Unwarranted Scrutiny: By regulating contamination, the bill addresses instances where women have tested positive for opiates at childbirth due to food consumption, which led to scrutiny from child welfare officials (Section 2(a)(3)).
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Protection for Servicemembers: The bill addresses risks noted by the Department of Defense regarding opiate contamination and the risk of positive drug tests for servicemembers (Section 2(a)(4)).
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Regulation of Adulterated Foods: The Secretary of Health and Human Services will establish levels for contamination of morphine, codeine, and other compounds to deem seeds adulterated and prohibit their sale in interstate commerce (Section 2(b) and Section 3(1)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- No specific negative impacts or burdens are explicitly stated in the provided text.
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.
- Healthcare
- Does this do more about addiction and overdose deaths? — By regulating contaminated poppy seeds, the bill addresses a specific source of morphine intoxication and overdose risk.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would women be better off under this? — The bill helps women avoid unwarranted scrutiny from child welfare officials due to false positive opiate tests at childbirth.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this give people more protection from unfair business practices? — The bill protects consumers by regulating adulterated food products containing unsafe levels of opiates.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this give the federal government more power? — The bill expands federal authority by mandating the Secretary of HHS to regulate specific food additives in interstate commerce.
- 4/2/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- 2 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in Senate
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.
John BoozmanRepublican · Arkansas
Richard BlumenthalDemocrat · Connecticut