DRUGS Act

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Introduced on April 11, 2024 by Marco Rubio

Legislation Details

  • Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to establish a process for locking and suspending domain names used for the illegal online sale of drugs.
  • Registry operators or registrars must lock a reported domain within 24 hours and suspend it within 7 days of receiving a notification from a trusted notifier.
  • Notifications must include the domain name, date of illegal activity observation, a summary of the illegal activities, and a statement that evidence like screenshots has been retained.
  • Registrants can appeal the lock and suspension by providing pharmacy license information and disputing the notification to the trusted notifier.
  • Registry operators or registrars must provide the trusted notifier’s contact information to the appealing registrant within 15 days of a request.
  • Trusted notifiers must conduct a reasonable investigation into the appeal, considering the information provided by the registrant.
  • If an appeal is successful, the domain name must be unlocked and the suspension lifted within 15 days.
  • The legislation does not prevent proactive actions by registry operators or registrars to lock and suspend domains involved in illegal drug sales before receiving a notification.
  • Defines terms such as “domain name,” “lock,” “suspend,” “trusted notifier,” and others relevant to the process.
  • Adds the failure to lock and suspend a domain name as per the new section as a prohibited act under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.
  • The new requirements become applicable 60 days after the enactment of the Act.

Last updated 8/8/2024