The U.S. Senate passed the Halt Lethal Trafficking (HALT) of Fentanyl Act (S. 331), which permanently schedules fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I under the Controlled Substances Act. Led Senators Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), and Chuck Grassley (R-IA). , the bill passed the Senate with a bipartisan vote of 84-16.
“The HALT Fentanyl Act is a critical step towards ending the crisis that’s killing hundreds of thousands of precious American lives. I thank my Senate colleagues for passing this bill with broad, overwhelming support. I urge my House colleagues to swiftly pass the Senate version of this battle-tested, bipartisan bill to save lives, advance research, and support our brave men and women in blue,” said Grassley.
As fentanyl-related deaths continue to rise, the bill now heads to the House, which passed its own version (H.R. 27) in February. Once the House approves the Senate's measure, the legislation will move to the President’s desk to be signed into law.
In 2018, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) temporarily classified all fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I drugs, and Congress has extended this designation multiple times. With the Senate's passage of the HALT Fentanyl Act, the legislation moves one step closer to becoming law, ensuring the permanent classification of these substances. If not enacted, the temporary scheduling is set to expire on March 31, 2025.
The bill has garnered broad bipartisan support in both chambers and is endorsed by key law enforcement organizations, including the Drug Enforcement Association of Federal Narcotics Agents, the Association of State Criminal Investigative Agencies, the Major County Sheriffs of America, the National Alliance of State Drug Enforcement Agencies, the National High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Directors Association, the National Narcotic Officers' Associations' Coalition, the National District Attorneys Association, and the Peace Officers Research Association of California.