Gov. Abbott signs multiple fentanyl-related bills into law
DALLAS - Gov. Greg Abbott signed multiple fentanyl-related bills into law.
There have been multiple arrests in North Texas involving the sale of hundreds of thousands of fentanyl-laced pills.
More than 2,000 Texans died from overdosing on fentanyl last year. The impact continues to hit families hard in North Texas.
This past school year, at least three Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD students died from taking fentanyl-laced pills.
Wednesday, Gov. Abbott signed multiple fentanyl-related bills. The bill with the biggest impact on dealers is House Bill 6.
"It now will be a murder in Texas and ensure death certificates reflect when people are poisoned by this terrible drug," Abbott said.
This week, 22-year-old Jason Villanueva pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute.
Court documents say Villanueva admitted to distributing more than 200,000 pills in North Texas in a six-month span. The pills were tied to at least 10 overdoses in the Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD.
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HB6 would also direct medical examiners to mark the death as fentanyl poisoning.
Another bill that was signed is Tucker's Law, named after Stefanie Turner's 19-year-old son who died thinking he was taking Xanax.
Tucker’s Law requires education resources in schools about fentanyl. Turner read something Tucker wrote in his journal before his death.
"I really want to be something great. I am not exactly sure what, but I will figure it out," he wrote.
A former Dallas County prosecutor said it will take some time to see the real impact of HB6.
Currently, local officials turn fentanyl-type cases over to the feds to charge on federal crimes. But the attorney did say this gives local officials more tools to fight these crimes.
"Our collective goal is to reduce people from dying," Abbott said.
Abbott also signed a bill making October Fentanyl Poisoning Awareness Month.