Central Louisiana News

U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, Chuck Grassley, and Martin Heinrich have expressed approval following the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee's passage of the Halt Lethal Trafficking (HALT) Fentanyl Act. This legislation aims to permanently classify fentanyl-related substances as a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act. The current classification is set to expire on March 31, 2025.

Senator Cassidy stated, "Chinese fentanyl was pouring into the U.S. under President Biden’s open border. Law enforcement needs every tool possible to combat this." He also thanked Chairman Grassley for his swift action in advancing the bill through the committee.

Grassley emphasized the urgency of passing the HALT Fentanyl Act before the expiration of its Schedule I status, saying, "The Senate Judiciary Committee’s broad, bipartisan passage of the HALT Fentanyl Act is an important step towards ending our nation’s deadly opioid epidemic."

The HALT Fentanyl Act builds on previous efforts by Senator Ron Johnson with his Stopping Overdoses of Fentanyl Analogues (SOFA) Act introduced in 2017. Johnson remarked on its progress: "I’m pleased SOFA will advance to the Senate floor under the HALT Fentanyl Act."

Senator Heinrich expressed satisfaction with the bill's advancement and urged further support: "My legislation now heads to the Senate floor, and I urge my colleagues to pass it."

The legislation now awaits a vote in the U.S. Senate. The Office of Management and Budget has indicated that President Trump will sign it if passed in its current form.

The bill has garnered support from 24 U.S. Senate cosponsors and 40 advocacy groups, including several State Attorneys General and major law enforcement organizations.

Drug overdoses driven by fentanyl are a leading cause of death among young adults aged 18 to 45 in the United States. Synthetic opioids like fentanyl accounted for 66 percent of total overdose deaths according to CDC estimates for 2023.