Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) passed their legislation to combat illegal fentanyl and keep communities safe. The HALT Fentanyl Act would permanently schedule fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I drugs and streamline the regulatory process for scientists seeking approval from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to research Schedule I substances. The drug’s Schedule I classification is set to expire on March 31, 2025.
“Today, the Senate took a major step to crack down on fentanyl,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “Far too many Nevadans have lost their lives to fentanyl and other synthetic opioids. Our bipartisan bill will help our law enforcement agencies bring traffickers to justice and save American lives.”
Overdoses, largely driven by fentanyl, are the leading cause of death among young adults 18 to 45 years old. Synthetic opioids like fentanyl account for 66 percent of the total U.S. overdose deaths. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there were an estimated 107,543 drug overdose deaths in the U.S. in 2023. This was primarily fueled by synthetic opioids, including illegal fentanyl.
Read the full bill here.
Senator Cortez Masto has been working to crack down on illicit drugs since she was first elected Attorney General, when she worked with Nevada’s Republican governor, law enforcement, and Mexican officials to combat the rise of methamphetamine manufacturing and cross-border drug trafficking. In the Senate, she has authored legislation to combat drug trafficking online that was signed into law, and passed critical legislation to eliminate illegal fentanyl supply chains. She has also introduced legislation to crack down on the deadly fentanyl additive xylazine.
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