HALT Fentanyl Act
3/3/2025, 8:04 PMSummary of Bill HR 27
Bill 119 hr 27, also known as the Fentanyl Scheduling Act, aims to make changes to the Controlled Substances Act in regards to the scheduling of fentanyl-related substances. Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that is responsible for a significant portion of opioid-related deaths in the United States.The main goal of this bill is to address the growing crisis of fentanyl-related overdoses by increasing the penalties for the trafficking and distribution of fentanyl and its analogues. The bill seeks to classify certain fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I controlled substances, which are considered to have a high potential for abuse and no accepted medical use.
Additionally, the bill includes provisions for increasing funding for law enforcement efforts to combat the trafficking of fentanyl and other synthetic opioids. It also calls for increased resources for addiction treatment and prevention programs to help individuals struggling with opioid addiction. Overall, the Fentanyl Scheduling Act aims to address the public health crisis caused by fentanyl and other synthetic opioids by increasing penalties for trafficking, providing resources for law enforcement efforts, and expanding access to addiction treatment programs.
Congressional Summary of HR 27
Halt All Lethal Trafficking of Fentanyl Act or the HALT Fentanyl Act
This bill permanently places fentanyl-related substances as a class into schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act. A schedule I controlled substance is a drug, substance, or chemical that has a high potential for abuse; has no currently accepted medical value; and is subject to regulatory controls and administrative, civil, and criminal penalties under the Controlled Substances Act.
Under the bill, offenses involving fentanyl-related substances are triggered by the same quantity thresholds and subject to the same penalties as offenses involving fentanyl analogues (e.g., offenses involving 100 grams or more trigger a 10-year mandatory minimum prison term).
Additionally, the bill establishes a new, alternative registration process for certain schedule I research.
The bill also makes several other changes to registration requirements for conducting research with controlled substances, including
- permitting a single registration for related research sites in certain circumstances,
- waiving the requirement for a new inspection in certain situations, and
- allowing a registered researcher to perform certain manufacturing activities with small quantities of a substance without obtaining a manufacturing registration.
Finally, the bill expresses the sense that Congress agrees with the interpretation of Controlled Substances Act in United States v. McCray, a 2018 case decided by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York. In that case, the court held that butyryl fentanyl, a controlled substance, can be considered an analogue of fentanyl even though, under the Controlled Substances Act, the term controlled substance analogue specifically excludes a controlled substance.
