Fentanyl, heroin, etc.; manufacturing, selling, giving, distributing, etc., penalties.
Summary
Manufacturing, selling, giving, distributing, etc., of fentanyl, heroin, or related controlled substances; penalties. Provides that a person is guilty of felony homicide, which constitutes second degree murder and is punishable by confinement of not less than five nor more than 40 years, if the underlying felonious act that resulted in the killing of another involved the manufacture, sale, gift, or distribution of a Schedule I or II controlled substance to another and (i) such other person's death results from his use of the controlled substance and (ii) the controlled substance is the proximate cause of his death. The bill provides that venue for a prosecution of this crime shall lie in the locality where the underlying felony occurred, where the use of the controlled substance occurred, or where death occurred. The bill also provides that if a person gave or distributed a Schedule I or II controlled substance only as an accommodation to another individual who is not an inmate in a community correctional facility, local correctional facility, or state correctional facility, or in the custody of an employee thereof, and not with intent to profit thereby from any consideration received or expected nor to induce the recipient of the controlled substance to use or become addicted to or dependent upon such controlled substance, he is guilty of a Class 5 felony. The bill also requires the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to investigate the cause and manner of a death in any case where the attorney for the Commonwealth or the investigating law-enforcement agency has probable cause to believe that the death resulted from such felony homicide. The bill also adds mandatory minimum fines for manufacturing, selling, giving, distributing, or possessing with the intent to manufacture, sell, give, or distribute a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of heroin, fentanyl, or carfentanil based on the weight of such mixtures or substances.
Bill status
in committee
1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2025
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Jan 8, 2025
Last action Jan 27, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison
What changed between versions
Introduced
→
Courts of Justice Substitute Offered
·
3 edits
MINOR
The Senate Committee for Courts of Justice offered a substitute version of SB 1235 that narrows the bill's scope by removing amendments to § 32.1-283 (medical examiner investigation fees) and § 18.2-248.04 (methamphetamine cleanup restitution). The substitute also removes the new mandatory minimum fines for fentanyl, heroin, and carfentanil mixtures that were in the original version.
Scope change
The bill's scope was reduced by removing provisions related to medical examiner fees, methamphetamine cleanup restitution, and specific mandatory minimum fines for certain controlled substance mixtures.
FISCAL
Removed the requirement for a mandatory minimum fine of $500,000 to $1 million for possession of fentanyl, heroin, or carfentanil mixtures based on weight.
Removed the provision requiring convicted methamphetamine producers to pay restitution to the Methamphetamine Cleanup Fund for property damage.
ENFORCEMENT
Removed the amendment to § 32.1-283 that would have changed how medical examiner investigation fees are paid when deaths occur under the new felony homicide statute.
Floor votes
How they voted
No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
5
Key actions
0
Committee
1
Jan 8, 2025
Committee
Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice
upper
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Bill DeSteph
RRepublican
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