Should all fentanyl-related substances be classified as Schedule I drugs?

Crime and Law Enforcement (e.g., Gun Laws) Health
HALT Fentanyl Act (H.R. 27)
This bill has Passed the House of Representatives
Bill Summary

This bill makes all fentanyl-related substances permanently classified as Schedule I drugs. That means the government considers them highly addictive, dangerous, and without medical use. Crimes involving these drugs will have the same punishments as fentanyl analogues. For example, having 100 grams or more comes with at least 10 years in prison. The bill also makes it easier for scientists to research these substances by reducing paperwork, allowing one registration for multiple sites, and letting them produce small amounts without extra approvals. Finally, it supports a court ruling/interpretation that certain fentanyl-like drugs can be treated the same as fentanyl under the law. Sponsor: Rep. Griffith, H. Morgan (Republican, Virginia, District 9)
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Opponents say

•      "The HALT Fentanyl Act expands mandatory minimums for both foreign importation crimes and domestic drug distribution offenses, including nonviolent drug distribution involving small quantities of drugs. By automatically scheduling a huge swathe of substances in one fell swoop, the HALT Fentanyl Act would lead to very real criminal justice consequences, posing an unacceptable risk of unnecessary incarceration for substances that carry no potential for abuse." Source: A letter written by the Human Rights Watch, which +150 other groups signed 

•      "In other words, the HALT Fentanyl Act is a partisan distraction from the hard, bipartisan work that actually has to be done to address a long standing, intractable problem that faces our communities. We lost over 100,000 people in 2022 to overdoses. This is one of the biggest public health crises our nation has ever faced. Now is not the time for a partisan approach. Now is the time for comprehensive, bipartisan work. [...] We simply cannot incarcerate our way out of a public health crisis. The HALT Fentanyl Act does not provide any resources for research, prevention, treatment, recovery, or harm reduction. It also does not provide law enforcement or public health agencies with any additional resources to detect and intercept illicit drugs entering the country." Source: Rep. Frank Pallone (Democrat, New Jersey, District 6) 

Proponents say

•      "Today, roughly 150 Americans will die from fentanyl poisoning. Cartels fuel this crisis by marketing their poison as legitimate prescription pills. They also avoid regulation by chemically altering the drugs to create powerful fentanyl knock-offs, [...] Congress closed that loophole by temporarily classifying fentanyl-related substances under Schedule 1. The HALT Fentanyl Act would make permanent fentanyl-related substances’ Schedule 1 classification and ensure law enforcement has the tools they need to combat these deadly drugs." Source: Senator Charles Grassley (Republican, Iowa), as published by the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary 

•      "We’re losing nearly 75,000 Americans each year to illicit fentanyl overdoses. I refuse to accept this reality. That’s why I’m working to deliver the tools law enforcement personnel need to keep these extremely lethal and dangerous drugs off our streets and ensure scientists can research and better understand these substances. Today, I joined my Republican colleagues Senators Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) to introduce the bipartisan Halt All Lethal Trafficking of (HALT) Fentanyl Act to permanently classify fentanyl-related substances (FRS) as Schedule I drugs under the Controlled Substances Act. Permanent scheduling fentanyl and its analogue substances will help federal and local law enforcement crack down on illegal trafficking and allow prosecutors to build stronger, longer-term criminal cases. I will keep doing everything I can to stop the flow of these deadly drugs into our communities and save lives." Source: Senator Martin Heinrich (Democrat, New Mexico) 

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