Combating Online Fentanyl Trafficking Act

This bill lets the Department of Justice offer extra pay—up to 25% of an employee’s normal salary—to people with strong cyber skills who work to detect, prevent, or prosecute fentanyl trafficking, including online. The extra pay would only be offered if money is available. It would not count against certain federal pay caps for a pay period or year, and it would be treated as part of basic pay for certain federal pay rules. The bill explains that “cyber skills” means expertise in computers, networks, IT, or the internet.

Key points

• Who is affected: DOJ employees in jobs that require significant cyber skills to fight fentanyl trafficking.
• What changes: Eligible employees could receive incentive pay up to 25% of their basic pay; this extra pay wouldn’t count toward some pay caps and would be treated as part of basic pay for certain rules.
• When: Only if funds are available; the bill does not set a start date in the text provided.

For communities, the goal is to help DOJ hire and keep cyber experts so they can better track and stop fentanyl trafficking, especially online.