(Washington, DC) - Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) expressed his support for the SAFE DOSES Act, a bill that protects consumers from stolen or altered medical products.

“Salt Lake City, Utah, has been nicknamed the Crossroads of the West, which is fitting, given that I-15 and I-80, two major interstate highways, intersect near the heart of the city. As the center of so much travel and transportation, Salt Lake and its surrounding communities are especially affected by crimes involving the transportation of goods.

"The removal of medical products from the supply chain creates a number of problems, including danger to health and safety and great economic loss. By holding responsible those who ignore the potentially deadly consequences of these crimes, we ensure that individuals who purchase medical products can be confident they are buying what they think they are buying.

"I am always concerned with the creation or enhancement of federal penalties and believe that, in general, we are too quick to send people to jail, and often for too long. I applaud Senator Schumer for his willingness to work with me and the other Senators on this Committee to ensure that several provisions of his bill are more in keeping with properly limited federal crime enforcement. First, we have ensured that there is an appropriate mens rea requirement for each offense, avoiding the vagueness that sometimes appears in federal criminal statutes. Second, we have narrowed the jurisdiction of the statute so that it clearly comports with a proper understanding of limited federal jurisdiction. Finally, we have ensured that the legislation is free of mandatory minimum sentences, which restrict a judge’s ability to exercise discretion in sentencing.

I believe this bill will effectively reduce dangerous manipulations of the medical-product supply chain and therefore have agreed to co-sponsor this legislation," Lee said.