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S. 331: HALT Fentanyl Act

119th Congress · introduced 2025-01-30 · Crime and Law Enforcement · Latest: Became Public Law No: 119-26.

federal

What does this mean?

Official title

HALT Fentanyl Act

Plain summary

Halt All Lethal Trafficking of Fentanyl Act or the HALT Fentanyl Act This act 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 act, 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 act establishes a new, alternative registration process for certain schedule I research. The act 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 act expresses the sense that Congress agrees with the interpretation of the 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.

Congressional Research Service summary (Public Law), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

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If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

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PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

HALT Fentanyl Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Public Law)

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Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Cassidy, Bill [R-LA] · 31 cosponsors

Cost estimate: CBO cost estimate: S. 331, HALT Fentanyl Act (2025-03-10)

Cosponsors on this site

Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Todd Young (R-IN), Steve Daines (R-MT), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Eric Schmitt (R-MO), John Kennedy (R-LA), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Margaret Wood Hassan (D-NH), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Angus S. King, Jr. (I-ME), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), John Cornyn (R-TX), Josh Hawley (R-MO), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Katie Boyd Britt (R-AL), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Mike Lee (R-UT), Ashley Moody (R-FL), David McCormick (R-PA), Susan M. Collins (R-ME), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), James C. Justice (R-WV), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS)

Sponsor's campaign money: Sen. Cassidy, Bill [R-LA] reported raising $6.7 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

Recorded votes

Sources

Record fed-us-cong119-s331 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong119 · updated 2026-11-03 by psicol fed-bills