07-02-2025
House passes HALT Fentanyl Act, Kansas lawmakers react
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Halt All Lethal Trafficking of (HALT) Fentanyl Act on Thursday by a vote of 312-108.
H.R. 27 would classify fentanyl-related substances as a Schedule I drug. A Schedule I drug, as defined by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, is a drug with no accepted medical use and a high risk for addiction.
Fentanyl is currently listed as a Schedule II drug by the DEA, meaning it has accepted medical use but has a high potential for abuse.
In 2018, the DEA issued a temporary scheduling order for fentanyl-related substances, which Congress extended several times. It is set to expire on March 31. If it expires without congressional action, fentanyl-related substances could become street-legal and strip law enforcement of their ability to seize these drugs.
The Halt Fentanyl Act would increase the penalties for the possession and sale of fentanyl and provide law enforcement with more resources and tools to combat and deter fentanyl trafficking.
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In 2023, more than 107,000 people died of a drug overdose, and nearly 75,000 of those deaths were from synthetic opioids, which are primarily comprised of illicit fentanyl or fentanyl-related substances.
'Nearly 150 Americans die each day due to fentanyl overdoses,' said Rep. Tracey Mann. 'This is not normal, and it is a national security crisis. The country gave Washington, D.C. a mandate to seriously address the drug trafficking happening at our southern border. Today, House Republicans voted to deliver on that mandate by increasing penalties for possessing and selling fentanyl, giving law enforcement the correct tools to combat this deadly drug trade, and holding criminals accountable for the deadly toll they've inflicted on our nation. The cartels and fentanyl traffickers need to know that American lives are not up for grabs.'
'As Kansas' top law enforcement official for more than a decade, I saw firsthand the devastation that fentanyl wreaks on our communities,' Rep. Derek Schmidt said. 'Today's passage of the HALT Fentanyl Act is a strong step toward crippling drug peddlers' ability to mass manufacture and distribute these deadly substances. This legislation will be a meaningful step in our fight against the opioid crisis and I encourage my Senate colleagues to swiftly pass it.'
H.R. 27 will now go to the U.S. Senate for further consideration.
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