House panel advances legislation addressing permanent scheduling of fentanyl

U.S. Reps. Morgan Griffith (R-VA) and Bob Latta (R-OH) are commending the House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee’s advancement of legislation addressing fentanyl analogues permanent scheduling.

Bill proponents indicated the Halt All Lethal Trafficking of (HALT) Fentanyl Act permanently places fentanyl analogues into Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA); simplifies registration processes for certain research with Schedule I substances; removes barriers that currently impede such work; and provides for exemption of individual analogues from Schedule I when evidence demonstrates it is appropriate.

“I am pleased the Energy and Commerce Committee has approved my critical legislation with Congressman Latta to permanently schedule fentanyl analogues and that it will now head to the House floor for a vote,” Griffith said. “As drug overdose deaths reach historic levels in our country, the HALT Fentanyl Act offers a way to make progress amid the tragedy of addiction.”

Officials noted the bill will now go to the House floor for a vote.

“In just one year, lethal fentanyl poisonings claimed the lives of over 5,000 Ohioans and more than 70,000 Americans,” Latta said. “It is clear that swift action is needed to stem this crisis. The Energy and Commerce Committee did just that by advancing the HALT Fentanyl Act. This bill is key to saving lives by helping eradicate the scourge of fentanyl that has infiltrated our communities in Ohio and beyond. I look forward to its next stop: a vote before the U.S. House of Representatives.”

Presently fentanyl and fentanyl analogues temporarily fall under Schedule I of the CSA due to a temporary scheduling order that runs through Dec. 31, 2024, authorities noted.