Deal Death, Face Death Act

119th Congress Introduced by Chip Roy

The bill imposes the death penalty for fentanyl or fentanyl-related offenses if death results from use of the substance.

Introduced in House

Overview

Bill: H.R. 8766 — Deal Death, Face Death Act

Session: 119th Congress (introduced May 12, 2026)

Purpose: Amend the Controlled Substances Act to impose the death penalty on individuals who knowingly deal fentanyl or fentanyl-related substances to a person, where death results from the use of such fentanyl.

Key provisions

Legislative target: Fentanyl or any fentanyl-related substance involved in a transaction that leads to another person’s death.

Core change to the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 841(b)(1)(C)):

Adds a new death-penalty sentence for fentanyl-related offenses: if death results from the use of a controlled substance containing any amount of fentanyl, the defendant may be sentenced to death.
The existing framework for severe penalties remains in place for other schedule I/II substances with related language about long terms of imprisonment (up to life) and fines.

Financial penalties (for non-death scenarios under current text):

If death or serious bodily injury results from the use of the substance, the penalty framework allows for lengthy imprisonment (not less than 20 years up to life) and fines.
The bill specifies maximum fines (greater of the standard title 18 cap, or $1,000,000 for individuals or $5,000,000 for non-individuals) for non-death cases.

Deadly-fentanyl provision:

If the violation involves any quantity of fentanyl or a fentanyl-related substance and death results, the defendant could face the death penalty, in addition to (or as part of) enhanced penalties (the text emphasizes death as a potential sentence when death results).

Who/what is affected

Individuals or entities involved in trafficking, distributing, or dealing fentanyl or fentanyl-related substances.

The death-penalty provision specifically activates when death results from the use of the fentanyl involved in the offense.

The bill would modify penalties under the federal Controlled Substances Act for fentanyl-related offenses in cases where death occurs.

Procedural and timeline aspects

Introduction date: May 12, 2026.

Referral: House Judiciary Committee and House Energy and Commerce Committee for consideration of provisions within their jurisdiction.

As a proposed amendment to the Controlled Substances Act, the changes would apply to federal prosecutions in which the specific fentanyl-related offense and death resulting from its use are established.

Notes and context

The bill is titled the “Deal Death, Face Death Act.”

The summary reflects only the text as introduced; it explicitly creates a death-penalty pathway for fentanyl-related offenses resulting in death.

The bill has at least one identified sponsor (Chip Roy) and a co-sponsor status noted in the introduction.

If you’d like, I can compare this proposal to existing federal penalties for fentanyl-related offenses or provide a brief potential impact analysis (law enforcement workload, prosecutorial considerations, and potential geographic variation in enforcement).