PASSED THE SENATE: Senators Hassan, Shaheen’s Bipartisan HALT Fentanyl Act

WASHINGTON – A bipartisan bill that U.S. Senators Maggie Hassan and Jeanne Shaheen helped introduce to permanently classify fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I drugs under the Controlled Substances Act passed the U.S. Senate last week. The Halt All Lethal Trafficking of (HALT) Fentanyl Act passed with an 84-16 bipartisan vote.  

“New Hampshire’s fentanyl crisis has resulted in devastating losses for our families and communities,” said Senator Hassan. “As the fentanyl crisis has evolved, cartels and traffickers have also changed their tactics, altering the chemical makeup of the synthetic opioid by just one or two molecules to try to evade prosecution under existing law even though the slightly altered drug has the same effects as fentanyl does. This bipartisan legislation to permanently classify these fentanyl-like substances as being in the same category as the most dangerous narcotics will help ensure that law enforcement officials have the tools that they need to get these illegal drugs off our streets. I am glad that it passed the Senate.”

“In the Granite State we’ve lost far too many lives due to fentanyl overdoses, and we must do everything we can to prevent more deaths,” said Senator Shaheen. “I was proud to join my colleagues in passing this legislation that will help stop the flow of fentanyl into our communities, hold traffickers accountable and save lives.”  

The HALT Fentanyl Act would finally make permanent the scheduling of illicitly produced fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I drugs and streamline the regulatory process for scientists seeking approval to research Schedule I substances. The HALT Fentanyl Act places the strongest controls and penalties on fentanyl-related substances, which have no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. In 2018, the Drug Enforcement Administration first temporarily scheduled fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I drugs, and Congress has repeatedly extended that scheduling. The temporary scheduling is now set to expire on March 31, 2025.  

This bipartisan bill is part of Senator Hassan’s ongoing efforts to stop drug trafficking and support communities devastated by the fentanyl crisis. Senator Hassan helped advance the DETECT Fentanyl and Xylazine Act, which was signed into law in December and is supporting law enforcement with enhanced tools to find and eliminate illegal substances such as fentanyl and xylazine. Senators Hassan, Shaheen, and their colleagues also passed into law the FEND Off Fentanyl Act, which targets the illicit fentanyl supply chain and imposes sanctions on traffickers. Senator Hassan also developed the END FENTANYL Act, signed into law last year, which helps Customs and Border Protection crack down on fentanyl trafficking at the border. 

Shaheen has spearheaded crucial legislation and funding to fight the substance use disorder epidemic, including through her leadership on the pivotal U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies, which funds the U.S. Department of Justice. Shaheen also recently introduced her bipartisan Keeping Drugs Out of Schools Act to help prevent youth opioid use and overdoses by establishing a new grant program that allows current or former Drug-Free Communities (DFC) coalitions to partner with schools to provide resources educating students about the dangers of synthetic opioids. 

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