The House passed legislation Thursday to permanently classify fentanyl as a Schedule I drug, which lawmakers say will allow law enforcement to be better equipped to prosecute drug traffickers and stop the flow of such substances.
In 2018, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) issued a temporary scheduling order (TSO) for fentanyl as a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), but the TSO is set to expire in March.
With the expiration date looming, Republican Reps. Morgan Griffith, R-Va., and Bob Latta, R-Ohio, introduced the Halt All Lethal Trafficking (HALT) of Fentanyl Act that, if passed, would permanently amend the CSA to reflect the current scheduling order.
The legislation passed on Thursday with bipartisan support, 312-108, with 107 Democrats voting against its passage.
Schedule 1 drugs under the CSA are defined as “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 mandatory minimum administrative, civil, and criminal penalties.”
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: WE HAVE TO STOP FENTANYL FROM COMING IN
The legislation also expands the mandatory minimum sentencing for manufacturing, importing, or possessing fentanyl-related substances with intent to distribute.
“The HALT Fentanyl Act is not just about strengthening law enforcement—it is about saving lives and protecting communities,” Drug Enforcement Association of Federal Narcotics Agents President Marshall Fisher wrote in a letter supporting the bill. “By permanently scheduling fentanyl analogues, we are sending a strong message that the United States will not tolerate the continued destruction caused by this drug.”
The House Energy and Commerce Committee, in promotion of the bill, shared data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that found in 2023 alone, there were nearly 75,000 deaths from synthetic opioids like fentanyl.
The bill comes amid a government-wide crackdown on fentanyl under President Donald Trump’s administration.
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Trump threatened to impose a 25% tariff on all goods entering the United States from Mexico and Canada, which were set to go into effect early February but were delayed by a month just hours before their enactment. Trump, however, did impose a 10% tariff on goods from China as part of his effort to combat fentanyl trafficking across the nation’s borders.
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