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WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved, through a bipartisan vote of 312 to 108, the Halt All Lethal Trafficking of (HALT) Fentanyl Act, legislation led by Congressman Bob Latta (R-OH5) and Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA9). The bill would make the temporary class-wide scheduling order for fentanyl-related substances (FRS) permanent.
In 2023 alone, more than 107,000 people died of drug overdoses; roughly 75,000 whom died from synthetic opioids - including illicit fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances.
"I'm encouraged the House has overwhelmingly advanced our HALT Fentanyl Act, which will help curb the devastating fentanyl poisoning crisis," Latta said. "While making the scheduling of fentanyl-related substances permanent to get this crisis under control, this bill does not impede research into fentanyl-related substances, nor does it restrict access to fentanyl for those who rely on it for medicinal purposes. I'm proud to have worked on this extremely important bill with my friend, Congressman Griffith, and I'm even more pleased that the House recognized the urgency in which this bill is needed and passed it today. I call upon the Senate to take up our bill immediately and send it to President Trump's desk to be signed into law."
“The HALT Fentanyl Act highlights House Republicans’ commitment to tackling deadly fentanyl-related substances and saving lives," Griffith said. "I appreciate my dedicated colleague Rep. Bob Latta for his contributions to advance this critical legislation. The American people deserve nothing less than safe neighborhoods and safe streets.”
"Today, the House took a critical step forward to combat the fentanyl crisis by passing the HALT Fentanyl Act," Speaker Mike Johnson said. "For far too long, the Biden administration’s failure to secure our border allowed this deadly drug to pour into our country and kill more than 200 Americans a day. This bill permanently classifies fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I, giving law enforcement the tools needed to halt this epidemic. With this legislation and President Trump’s recent actions to secure our northern and southern borders, Republicans are taking decisive, strong, and immediate action to keep these dangerous drugs out of our communities.”
"Thanks to four years of President Biden’s disastrous open border policies, fentanyl continues to pour across our southern border, destroying lives, families, and communities," Majority Leader Steve Scalise said. "Fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances are now the leading cause of death for adults under 50 years old. This isn’t a ‘drug problem’ – it’s a mass poisoning of Americans. It is long past time we treat this crisis with the seriousness it deserves and take action to stop the flow of fentanyl into the United States: American lives are at stake. That’s why today, House Republicans passed H.R. 27, the HALT Fentanyl Act. This incredibly important legislation permanently classifies fentanyl-related substances (FRS) in Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, guaranteeing law enforcement has the resources to keep deadly drugs off our streets and allowing for further research of FRS. I’m grateful to Rep. Griffith and Rep. Latta for their leadership on this issue. House Republicans will continue passing legislation to save lives and make our communities safe again."
“One life lost to fentanyl is one too many," Majority Whip Tom Emmer said. "Unfortunately, the Biden administration exacerbated the fentanyl crisis that has devastated our communities by failing to change course on their open-borders agenda. House Republicans are once again governing where the Democrats have failed, and I thank Representatives Griffith and Latta for their leadership on this very important issue.”
"Every single life lost to the fentanyl crisis is more than just a statistic. Our country needs solutions, and House Republicans have taken action to make our communities safer and help save lives," House Republican Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain said. "Although this bill should’ve become law sooner, I am glad 98 Democrats joined us today on passage. I commend my colleagues, Congressman Griffith and Congressman Latta, for their tremendous efforts to help stop the deadly fentanyl crisis affecting American families."
“As Republicans work to fix the previous Administration’s border crisis and save lives from fentanyl poisoning, this legislation will serve as an important tool for law enforcement to fight against transnational crime organizations and drug smugglers,” Energy & Commerce Committee Chairman Brett Guthrie and Health Subcommittee Chairman Buddy Carter said. “We are grateful for Reps. Griffith and Latta for their leadership on this legislation and will work with the Senate to see it passed and sent to President Trump’s desk.”
Background on the HALT Fentanyl Act:
- Currently, fentanyl and fentanyl analogues temporarily fall under Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) due to a temporary scheduling order that runs through March 31, 2025.
- The HALT Fentanyl Act would permanently place fentanyl analogues into Schedule I of the CSA, simplify registration processes for certain research with Schedule I substances, remove barriers that currently impede such work, and provide for exemption of individual analogues from Schedule I when evidence demonstrates it is appropriate.
- The bill also ensures practitioners can research fentanyl-related substances to better understand their overall effects on human health.
Background on the fentanyl crisis:
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