Bill

S. 331 (119th): Halt All Lethal Trafficking of Fentanyl Act or the HALT Fentanyl Act This act permanently places fentanyl-related substances as a class into schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act

Halt All Lethal Trafficking of Fentanyl Act or the HALT Fentanyl Act This act permanently places fentanyl-related substances as a class into schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act. A schedule I controlled substance is a drug, substance, or chemical that has a high potential for abuse; has no currently accepted medical value; and is subject to regulatory controls and administrative, civil, and criminal penalties under the Controlled Substances Act. Under the act, offenses involving fentanyl-related substances are triggered by the same quantity thresholds and subject to the same penalties as offenses involving fentanyl analogues (e.g., offenses involving 100 grams or more trigger a 10-year mandatory minimum prison term). Additionally, the act establishes a new, alternative registration process for certain schedule I research. The act also makes several other changes to registration requirements for conducting research with controlled substances, including permitting a single registration for related research sites in certain circumstances, waiving the requirement for a new inspection in certain situations, and allowing a registered researcher to perform certain manufacturing activities with small quantities of a substance without obtaining a manufacturing registration. Finally, the act expresses the sense that Congress agrees with the interpretation of the Controlled Substances Act in United States v. McCray , a 2018 case decided by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York. In that case, the court held that butyryl fentanyl, a controlled substance, can be considered an analogue of fentanyl even though, under the Controlled Substances Act, the term controlled substance analogue specifically excludes a controlled substance.

house · Substantive

Rankings updated October 26, 2026, 11:44 AM ET · Votes through September 30, 2026
Exported candidates: 719 | Filings on file, by office: H: 5838 | P: 1467 | S: 1567. These counts include every filing for that office, so they are larger than the ranked list. One person can have more than one filing. Non-voting delegates are left out.

Official source

Summary

Recorded summary

The HALT Fentanyl Act permanently places fentanyl-related substances as a class into Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act. It applies the same quantity thresholds and penalties used for fentanyl analogues, including a 10-year mandatory minimum for offenses involving 100 grams or more. It also creates an alternative registration process for certain Schedule I research, permits a single registration for related research sites in certain circumstances, waives a new inspection requirement in some situations, and allows registered researchers to perform certain small-quantity manufacturing without a separate manufacturing registration. Finally, it expresses the sense of Congress agreeing with the interpretation in United States v. McCray (W.D.N.Y. 2018) that butyryl fentanyl can be treated as a fentanyl analogue.

abuse_accountabilitycontrolled_substancesdrug_policyfentanylfentanyl_traffickingmandatory_minimumsresearch_registrationscheduling

Theological note: Civil authority bears the sword to restrain lethal trafficking and protect the neighbor, so the bill addresses a real harm that falls within the civil magistrate's proper task of general equity. Its central concern is the protection of life from a deadly drug supply. Its mandatory minimums and research-registration changes raise questions of proportionate punishment and prudent regulation that call for careful weighing rather than a hard moral verdict.

Scoring

How this bill is scored

Debt and war Cloture and Tier 1 Procedural votes Scoring mechanics abuse accountability

Roll

Recorded votes

Roll 166 · 12-Jun-2025 3:34 PM · On Passage · Passed

Yea 321 · Nay 104 · Other 7

Yea

Nay

Other

Roll 124 · March 13, 2025, 05:36 PM · On the Cloture Motion S. 331 · Cloture Motion Agreed to (84-15, 3/5 majority required)

Yea 84 · Nay 15 · Other 1

Yea

Nay

Other

Roll 127 · March 14, 2025, 02:21 PM · On Passage of the Bill S. 331 · Bill Passed (84-16)

Yea 84 · Nay 16 · Other 0

Yea

Nay

Other

None recorded.

Roll 110 · March 6, 2025, 02:39 PM · On Cloture on the Motion to Proceed S. 331 · Cloture on the Motion to Proceed Agreed to (82-12, 3/5 majority required)

Yea 82 · Nay 12 · Other 6

Yea

Nay

Other

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