(The Center Square) – The Republican-sponsored HALT Fentanyl Act, a bill cracking down on fentanyl and related substances, passed the House in a bipartisan 321-104 vote Thursday.
The bill, reintroduced in February by Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., permanently classifies fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I drugs under the Controlled Substances Act.
It codifies actions taken by the Drug Enforcement Administration under President Donald Trump in 2018. Fentanyl was previously a Schedule II drug, meaning it is highly addictive but has legitimate medical uses, such as pain management. Schedule I drugs, such as heroin and LSD, are classified as having no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.
Although fentanyl is illegal nationwide, traffickers currently skirt the law by making slightly altered versions of the drug, which are still highly potent but chemically modified just enough to avoid being classified as fentanyl. The HALT Fentanyl Act, once signed into law by President Donald Trump, will close that loophole.
“Proud to once again support this vital legislation!” Rep. Stephanie Bice, R-Okla., said on X following the vote. “We must close legal loopholes which currently allow cartels and criminals to distribute dangerous variants of this lethal drug.”
Additionally, the HALT Fentanyl Act also increases maximum penalties for traffickers and distributors of fentanyl or chemically analogous substances.
Opponents of the legislation, including the 103 Democrats and 1 Republican who voted no, claimed it could exacerbate racial prejudice in the justice system and hamper the development of fentanyl overdose treatments. They also argued that the fentanyl crisis should be addressed through the lens of public health, not criminal justice.
Rep. Jahana Hayes, D-Conn., called the bill “a dangerous & ineffective approach to a public health crisis, doubling down on mandatory minimum prison sentences and ignoring treatment and recovery,” in an X post following the vote.
The National Sheriff’s Association has endorsed the legislation.
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