HALT Fentanyl Act
HALT Fentanyl Act
Plain Language Summary
# HALT Fentanyl Act Summary **What It Does:** The HALT Fentanyl Act would permanently classify all fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I controlled drugs—the most restrictive category under federal law. This means these drugs would be treated as having no accepted medical use and high abuse potential. The bill would apply the same criminal penalties to fentanyl-related substances as currently apply to fentanyl itself, including mandatory 10-year prison sentences for trafficking 100 grams or more.
The bill also creates a new registration process for researchers who need to study these substances. **Who It Affects:** This legislation primarily impacts drug traffickers and those convicted of fentanyl-related crimes, who would face consistent federal penalties. It also affects researchers and pharmaceutical companies studying fentanyl compounds, by establishing clearer rules for obtaining federal approval to conduct research on Schedule I drugs. **Current Status:** The bill has passed the House of Representatives and awaits consideration in the Senate. The act is part of broader federal efforts to combat the opioid crisis, particularly the spread of illicit fentanyl and its synthetic variants, which have contributed significantly to overdose deaths in recent years.
CRS Official Summary
Halt All Lethal Trafficking of Fentanyl Act or the HALT Fentanyl ActThis 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, includingpermitting a single registration for related research sites in certain circumstances,waiving the requirement for a new inspection in certain situations, andallowing 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.
Latest Action
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.