HALT Fentanyl Act

Bill: 119-hr-27
Sponsor: Rep. Griffith, H. Morgan [R-VA-9]
Introduced: 2025-01-03 in the House
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Department of Justice
Drug trafficking and controlled substances
Licensing and registrations
Research administration and funding

Summary:
action_date: 2025-01-03
text: 

Halt All Lethal Trafficking of Fentanyl Act or the HALT Fentanyl Act

This 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

permitting a single registration for related research sites in certain circumstances,

waiving the requirement for a new inspection in certain situations, and

allowing a registered researcher to perform certain manufacturing activities with small quantities of a substance without obtaining a manufacturing registration.

Finally, the bill expresses the sense that Congress agrees with the interpretation of 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.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2025-02-10
text: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2025-02-06
text: Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
action_date: 2025-02-06
text: On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 312 - 108 (Roll no. 33). (text: CR H520-522)
action_date: 2025-02-06
text: Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 312 - 108 (Roll no. 33). (text: CR H520-522)
action_date: 2025-02-06
text: Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H533-535)
action_date: 2025-02-06
text: POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on the Trahan amendment No. 2, the Chair put the question on agreeing to the amendment and by voice vote, announced that the noes prevailed. Mrs. Trahan demanded the yeas and nays and the Chair postponed further proceeding until a time to be announced.
action_date: 2025-02-06
text: DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 93, the House proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Trahan amendment No. 2.
action_date: 2025-02-06
text: DEBATE - The House proceeded with one hour of debate on H.R. 27.
action_date: 2025-02-06
text: Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 27 with 1 hour of general debate. Motion to recommit allowed. The resolution makes in order only the further amendment printed in Part B of the Rules Committee report.
action_date: 2025-02-06
text: Considered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 93. (consideration: CR H520-533)
action_date: 2025-02-05
text: Rule H. Res. 93 passed House.
action_date: 2025-02-04
text: Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 93 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 27 with 1 hour of general debate. Motion to recommit allowed. The resolution makes in order only the further amendment printed in Part B of the Rules Committee report.
action_date: 2025-01-03
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2025-01-03
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2025-01-03
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2025-01-03
text: Introduced in House