HALT Fentanyl Act

Senate Bill

S. 331

119th Congress

HALT Fentanyl Act

Became Public Law No: 119-26.

Introduced:Jan 30, 2025

Primary Sponsor

Bill Cassidy

R - LA

Cosponsors

31

Quick Stats

Policy Area

Crime and Law Enforcement

Summary

The HALT Fentanyl Act permanently places all fentanyl-related substances into Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act with the same penalties as fentanyl analogues. Offenses involving 100 grams or more trigger 10-year mandatory minimum sentences. It also streamlines research registration for Schedule I substances, allowing single registration for multiple research sites and exempting some manufacturing registration requirements.

Latest Action

Became Public Law No: 119-26.

Introduced1/30/2025

StatusBecame Public Law No: 119-26.

ChamberSenate

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Vote Prediction

HALT Fentanyl Act

The HALT Fentanyl Act permanently places all fentanyl-related substances into Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act with the same penalties as fentanyl analogues. Offenses involving 100 grams or more trigger 10-year mandatory minimum sentences. It also s

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The HALT Fentanyl Act permanently places all fentanyl-related substances into Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act with the same penalties as fentanyl analogues. Offenses involving 100 grams or more trigger 10-year mandatory minimum sentences. It also streamlines research registration for Schedule I substances, allowing single registration for multiple research sites and exempting some manufacturing registration requirements.

Bill Number: 331
Introduced: 1/30/2025
Status: Became Public Law No: 119-26.
Policy Area: Crime and Law Enforcement

Data from Congress.gov

AI-generated summary

Fact Sheet

Title: HALT Fentanyl Act
Bill Number: 331
Sponsor: No sponsor
Status: Became Public Law No: 119-26.
Introduced: 1/30/2025
Summary: The HALT Fentanyl Act permanently places all fentanyl-related substances into Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act with the same penalties as fentanyl analogues. Offenses involving 100 grams or more trigger 10-year mandatory minimum sentences. It also streamlines research registration for Sch

Data from Congress.gov

AI Summary

Plain-English explanation of this bill

The HALT Fentanyl Act permanently places all fentanyl-related substances into Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act with the same penalties as fentanyl analogues. Offenses involving 100 grams or more trigger 10-year mandatory minimum sentences. It also streamlines research registration for Schedule I substances, allowing single registration for multiple research sites and exempting some manufacturing registration requirements.

Last updated: 1/4/2026

Official Summary

Congressional Research Service 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, including<ul><li>permitting a single registration for related research sites in certain circumstances,</li><li>waiving the requirement for a new inspection in certain situations, and</li><li>allowing a registered researcher to perform certain manufacturing activities with small quantities of a substance without obtaining a manufacturing registration.</li></ul>Finally, the bill expresses the sense that Congress agrees with the interpretation of the 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.

Key Points

Main provisions of the bill

Permanently schedules all fentanyl-related substances
Schedule I with same penalties as fentanyl analogues
100 gram threshold triggers 10-year mandatory minimum
Streamlines Schedule I research registration
Allows single registration for research sites
Addresses synthetic opioid crisis

How This Impacts Americans

Potential effects on citizens and communities

This bill makes permanent a temporary scheduling order for fentanyl-related substances that has required repeated extensions. Fentanyl analogues are a major driver of overdose deaths, and permanent scheduling provides law enforcement consistent tools. The research provisions balance control with scientific needs, addressing concerns that restrictive scheduling impedes legitimate research on these substances. Critics argue mandatory minimums are ineffective; supporters say they deter trafficking.

Policy Areas

Primary Policy Area

Crime and Law Enforcement

Related Subjects

Administrative law and regulatory procedures

Department of Justice

Drug trafficking and controlled substances

Licensing and registrations

Research administration and funding

Scope & Jurisdiction

Jurisdiction Level

federal

Congressional Session

119th Congress

Citation Reference

331, 119th Congress (2025). "HALT Fentanyl Act". Source: Voter's Right Platform. https://votersright.org/bills/118-s-331

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