Central Louisiana News

The U.S. Senate has passed the Halt All Lethal Trafficking (HALT) Fentanyl Act, a bill spearheaded by Senators Bill Cassidy and Chuck Grassley. The legislation aims to permanently classify fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I drugs under the Controlled Substances Act. The Senate approved the bill with an 84-16 vote, and it now awaits President Trump's signature.

Senator Cassidy emphasized the importance of this legislation in combating fentanyl overdoses, which claimed 74,000 lives in 2023. "Law enforcement needs every tool," he stated. "This gives them another tool and makes that tool permanent."

Senator Grassley highlighted the bipartisan support for the HALT Fentanyl Act, urging House members to pass it swiftly. He described it as "a critical step towards ending the crisis that's killing hundreds of thousands of precious American lives."

The act builds on previous efforts such as the Stopping Overdoses of Fentanyl Analogues (SOFA) Act introduced by Senator Ron Johnson in 2017. Johnson noted that SOFA served as a template for temporary scheduling rules enacted during the Trump administration.

The HALT Fentanyl Act has garnered support from 30 Senate cosponsors, including Democratic lead Martin Heinrich. Senator Heinrich expressed satisfaction with its passage in the Senate and called for prompt action from his House colleagues.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi endorsed the bill, which is also backed by numerous advocacy groups, state attorneys general, law enforcement organizations, medical associations, and Facing Fentanyl—a coalition representing over 200 affected families.

Cassidy previously addressed attempts by Senate Democrats to challenge his bill and underscored its necessity given that drug overdoses are a leading cause of death among young adults aged 18 to 45.

According to data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), nearly 50,000 pounds of fentanyl were seized over two fiscal years—enough for more than two billion lethal doses. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported an estimated 107,543 drug overdose deaths in 2023; synthetic opioids like fentanyl accounted for approximately two-thirds of these fatalities.

Senator Johnson's introduction of SOFA followed Wisconsin's legislative actions on similar issues in 2017. In subsequent years, Cassidy joined as a cosponsor of SOFA before advancing his own HALT Fentanyl Act.