Domain Reform for Unlawful Drug Sellers Act or the DRUGS Act
This bill requires a website domain name registrar (or registry operator) to take down a domain name under the registrar's control upon receiving an eligible notification that the domain name is facilitating illegal online drug sales.
Upon receiving an eligible notification, the registrar must lock the domain name within 24 hours and suspend the domain name within seven days.
An eligible notification must come from a trusted notifier and include certain information, such as a summary of the alleged illegal activities and a statement that the evidence supporting the allegations is available to be shared with the registrar. The bill defines trusted notifiers as (1) certain government agencies, such as the Food and Drug Administration or the office of a state attorney general; and (2) qualifying private or nonprofit entities given such status by specified government agencies.
The registrant of the affected domain name may appeal a lock or suspension by providing the trusted notifier with information to establish that the registrant's drug sales are legal, such as pharmacy licenses and the licensing information of the prescribing medical practitioners, if applicable.
The trusted notifier must conduct a reasonable investigation and consider the information provided by the registrant. If the appeal is successful, the registrar must reverse the lock and suspension within 15 days. The domain name must remain locked and suspended while the appeal is pending.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.