H.R. 8535: Measuring Illicit Fentanyl Trafficking Act
Sponsor
James Walkinshaw
Democrat · VA-11
DHS should prove its fentanyl fight is actually working
Why it matters
Several Homeland Security offices work to stop fentanyl, and no law requires them to share a common scorecard. H.R. 8535 gives the department one year to set performance metrics for itself and every office involved, and to find where fentanyl data gets stuck between them.
H.R. 8535 is one sentence of law with two jobs, and a one-year deadline for both. It does not create new crimes, new penalties, new border powers, or new spending.
The first job is data sharing. Every DHS office involved in detecting, deterring, or seizing illicit fentanyl would have to share relevant information with the other offices doing that work, or measuring it, "to the extent practicable." Each office would also have to identify what is stopping that information from moving.
The second job is a scorecard: DHS would have to set fentanyl performance metrics for the department as a whole and for each office involved. Those metrics have to line up with whatever goals DHS has already set for fighting fentanyl trafficking.
The bill stops there. It does not require a public report, a report to Congress, or a fix for the barriers once they are found. Whether you ever see these numbers depends on DHS publishing them or on congressional oversight asking for them.
Bill Progress
Latest Action · Jul 14, 2026
Passed the House, received in Senate
H.R. 8535 Bill Summary
What H.R. 8535 actually does.
DHS gets one year to act
The Secretary of Homeland Security would have one year after the bill becomes law to put the data-sharing and performance-metric requirements in place.
Fentanyl intelligence moves between offices
Each DHS office engaged in detecting, deterring, or seizing illicit fentanyl would share relevant information and data with the other offices doing that work or measuring it, to the extent practicable.
Offices name what blocks the flow
Each of those offices would have to identify the barriers that keep it from sharing fentanyl-related information and data across the department.
A scorecard for DHS and each office
DHS would have to establish performance metrics on fentanyl detection, deterrence, and seizure, both department-wide and for each office involved.
Metrics tied to the department's own goals
The metrics would have to align with any strategic objectives DHS has set for combating illicit fentanyl trafficking, so they measure progress against stated targets.
Who benefits from H.R. 8535?
Families and communities hit by fentanyl
The benefit is indirect. If DHS offices share what they know, a lead developed by one office is more likely to reach the officers positioned to act on it.
Congressional oversight committees
Lawmakers who fund and oversee DHS would have defined measures to ask about, rather than relying on seizure totals alone to judge whether the effort is working.
DHS officers and analysts on the fentanyl mission
Staff in offices such as border inspection and investigations could gain access to data held elsewhere in the department and clearer targets for their work.
Who is affected by H.R. 8535?
The Secretary of Homeland Security
Responsible for making sure the data sharing happens and the metrics exist within one year of enactment.
DHS offices working on fentanyl
Would share more data with each other, report their own barriers to sharing, and be measured against office-level metrics.
DHS data and planning staff
Would likely carry most of the workload: defining the metrics, tracking them, and documenting where information systems do not connect.
The general public
No new penalties, reporting duties, or legal obligations. Nothing changes at a port of entry or for travelers under this bill.
HR8535 Legislative Journey
Committee Action
Jul 14, 2026
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
House: Vote Held
Jul 13, 2026
On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H4398)
House: Vote: 30-0
Jun 24, 2026
Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 30 - 0.
House: Committee Action
Apr 28, 2026
Referred to the Subcommittee on Border Security and Enforcement.
House: Committee Action
Apr 27, 2026
Referred to the House Committee on Homeland Security.
About the Sponsor
James Walkinshaw
Democrat, Virginia's 11st congressional district · 1 years in Congress
Committees: Homeland Security, Oversight and Government Reform
View full profile →
Cosponsors (3)
This bill has 3 cosponsors: 1 Democrat, 2 Republicans, reflecting bipartisan support. Cosponsors represent 3 states: California, Mississippi, Texas.
Committee Sponsors
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee
0 of 15 committee members cosponsored
No committee members have cosponsored this bill
Homeland Security Committee
3 of 33 committee members cosponsored
21 Democrats across these committees haven't cosponsored yet. Mobilize their constituents
H.R. 8535 Quick Facts
- Committee
- Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
- Chamber
- House
- Policy
- Crime and Law Enforcement
- Introduced
- Apr 27, 2026
Passed the House, received in Senate
Jul 14, 2026
Official Sources
Official status page for the Measuring Illicit Fentanyl Trafficking Act, with actions, text, and the House committee report.
The official engrossed text the House passed on July 13, 2026, now before the Senate.
The 2025 GAO audit found DHS lacked fentanyl performance measures and that CBP could not access other offices’ data, the two gaps this bill targets.
DHS overview of the offices working on fentanyl, including CBP, Homeland Security Investigations, Intelligence and Analysis, S&T, and the Coast Guard.
The department’s existing fentanyl seizure metric, which combines CBP and HSI data and shows what a department-wide measure looks like today.
CBP’s public seizure dashboard, the most visible fentanyl number DHS publishes now.
H.R. 8535 Common Questions
What does H.R. 8535 require DHS to do?
Two things within one year: make sure DHS offices working on fentanyl share relevant data with each other and name what blocks that sharing, and set fentanyl performance metrics for the department and each office involved.
Does H.R. 8535 create new fentanyl penalties or border powers?
No. It is an internal management bill. It adds no crimes, no sentencing changes, and no new search, detention, or enforcement authority.
Which DHS offices would be covered?
Any DHS office engaged in detecting, deterring, or seizing illicit fentanyl. The bill does not list them by name, which leaves DHS to decide which offices fall inside the requirement.
Will the public get to see the fentanyl metrics?
Not necessarily. The bill requires DHS to create the metrics but does not require it to publish them or report them to Congress.
What happens once DHS finds barriers to sharing data?
The bill only requires DHS offices to identify those barriers. It does not require a fix, set a deadline for removing them, or attach consequences if they remain.
How much does H.R. 8535 cost?
The bill authorizes no new money. DHS would carry out the work with its existing staff and budget.
Who sponsored H.R. 8535, and is it bipartisan?
Rep. James Walkinshaw (D-VA) introduced it in April 2026. Cosponsors are Reps. Michael McCaul (R-TX), Lou Correa (D-CA), and Michael Guest (R-MS).
Has H.R. 8535 passed?
It passed the House by voice vote on July 13, 2026. It is now with the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and needs Senate passage and a signature to become law.
Based on H.R. 8535 bill text
H.R. 8535 Bill Text
“To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to develop performance metrics relating to the detection, deterrence, and seizure of illicit fentanyl, and for other purposes.”
Source: U.S. Government Publishing Office
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