HALT Fentanyl Act
Latest action · Jul 16, 2025 Became Public Law No: 119-26.
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedJan 30, 2025
- Passed SenateMar 14, 2025
- Passed HouseJun 12, 2025
- To the PresidentJul 8, 2025
- Became lawJul 16, 2025Public Law 119-26
Summary
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.
Recorded votes 4
Newest first. Open one to see how every member voted.
| Roll call | Question | Result | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| House 166 | On Passage | Passed321–104 | Jun 12, 2025 |
| Senate 127 | On Passage of the Bill S. 331 | Bill Passed84–16 | Mar 14, 2025 |
| Senate 124 | On the Cloture Motion S. 331 | Cloture Motion Agreed to84–15 | Mar 13, 2025 |
| Senate 110 | On Cloture on the Motion to Proceed S. 331 | Cloture on the Motion to Proceed Agreed to82–12 | Mar 6, 2025 |
Cosponsors 31
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Jan 30, 2025 to Mar 11, 2025; 16 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| I-ME | Angus S. King Jr. | Original | Jan 30, 2025 |
| D-NV | Catherine Cortez Masto | Original | Jan 30, 2025 |
| R-IA | Chuck Grassley | Original | Jan 30, 2025 |
| R-MO | Eric Schmitt | Original | Jan 30, 2025 |
| D-NH | Jeanne Shaheen | Original | Jan 30, 2025 |
| R-TX | John Cornyn | Original | Jan 30, 2025 |
| R-LA | John Kennedy | Original | Jan 30, 2025 |
| D-NH | Margaret Wood Hassan | Original | Jan 30, 2025 |
| D-AZ | Mark Kelly | Original | Jan 30, 2025 |
| D-NM | Martin Heinrich | Original | Jan 30, 2025 |
| R-SD | Mike Rounds | Original | Jan 30, 2025 |
| R-KS | Roger Marshall | Original | Jan 30, 2025 |
| D-AZ | Ruben Gallego | Original | Jan 30, 2025 |
| R-WV | Shelley Moore Capito | Original | Jan 30, 2025 |
| R-MT | Steve Daines | Original | Jan 30, 2025 |
Committees 1
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| Senate | Judiciary Committee | Referred Jan 30, 2025Markup Feb 27, 2025Reported Mar 3, 2025 |
Actions 36
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Jul 16, 2025Signed by President.
- Jul 16, 2025Became Public Law No: 119-26.
- Jul 8, 2025Presented to President.
- Jun 12, 2025Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H2806)
- Jun 12, 2025Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 321 - 104 (Roll no. 166). (text: 6/11/2025 CR H2625-2627)
- Jun 12, 2025Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- Jun 11, 2025Considered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 489. (consideration: CR H2625-2633)
- Jun 11, 2025Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 884, H.R. 2056, H.R. 2096 and S. 331. The resolution provides for consideration of H.R. 884, H.R. 2056, H.R. 2096, and S. 331 under a closed rule with one hour of general debate for each bill. The resolution provides for one motion to recommit on H.R. 884, H.R. 2056, and H.R. 2096, and one motion to commit on S. 331.
- Jun 11, 2025DEBATE - The House proceeded with one hour of debate on S. 331.
- Jun 11, 2025The previous question was ordered pursuant to the rule.
- Jun 11, 2025POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on S. 331, the Chair put the question on passage of the bill and by voice vote, announced that the ayes had prevailed. Mr. Pallone demanded the yeas and nays and the Chair postponed further proceedings until a time to be announced.
- Jun 10, 2025Rule H. Res. 489 passed House.
- Jun 9, 2025Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 489 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 884, H.R. 2056, H.R. 2096 and S. 331. The resolution provides for consideration of H.R. 884, H.R. 2056, H.R. 2096, and S. 331 under a closed rule with one hour of general debate for each bill. The resolution provides for one motion to recommit on H.R. 884, H.R. 2056, and H.R. 2096, and one motion to commit on S. 331.
- Mar 18, 2025Received in the House.
- Mar 18, 2025Held at the desk.
- Mar 14, 2025Considered by Senate. (consideration: CR S1762-1765)
- Mar 14, 2025The committee substitute agreed to by Unanimous Consent.
- Mar 14, 2025Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Yea-Nay Vote. 84 - 16. Record Vote Number: 127.
- Mar 14, 2025Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Mar 13, 2025Cloture on the measure invoked in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 84 - 15. Record Vote Number: 124. (CR S1735)
- Mar 13, 2025Considered by Senate. (consideration: CR S1735)
- Mar 11, 2025Considered by Senate. (consideration: CR S1659)
- Mar 11, 2025Cloture motion on the measure presented in Senate. (CR S1659)
- Mar 10, 2025Motion to proceed to measure considered in Senate. (CR S1623)
- Mar 10, 2025Motion to proceed to consideration of measure agreed to in Senate by Voice Vote. (consideration: CR S1623)
- Mar 10, 2025Measure laid before Senate by motion.
- Mar 6, 2025Motion to proceed to measure considered in Senate. (CR S1596)
- Mar 6, 2025Cloture on the motion to proceed to the measure invoked in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 82 - 12. Record Vote Number: 110. (CR S1596)
- Mar 5, 2025Motion to proceed to measure considered in Senate. (CR S1521)
- Mar 4, 2025Motion to proceed to consideration of measure made in Senate. (CR S1488)
- Mar 4, 2025Cloture motion on the motion to proceed to the measure presented in Senate. (CR S1488)
- Mar 3, 2025Committee on the Judiciary. Reported by Senator Grassley with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
- Mar 3, 2025Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 18.
- Feb 27, 2025Committee on the Judiciary. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
- Jan 30, 2025Introduced in Senate
- Jan 30, 2025Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
In the Congressional Record 17
Days the Record’s own index lists this bill, newest first, with the pages and the members it names. Pages starting H are the House, S the Senate, E Extensions of Remarks.
| Where | In the Record | Members | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Extensions | Debate and remarks E582 | Betty McCollum D-MN | Jun 17, 2025 |
| House · Senate | Debate and remarks S3359Recorded votes H2806enact | John Thune R-SD | Jun 12, 2025 |
| House | Debate and remarks H2625–H2633, H2649 | Brett Guthrie R-KY, Chris Pappas D-NH, David P. Joyce R-OH, Earl L. "Buddy" Carter R-GA, Frank Pallone, Jr. D-NJ, Gus M. Bilirakis R-FL, H. Morgan Griffith R-VA, Jay Obernolte R-CA, Joe Neguse D-CO, John Joyce R-PA, Robert E. Latta R-OH, Scott Fitzgerald R-WI | Jun 11, 2025 |
| House | Debate and remarks H2581–H2589Text printed H2581Amendments H2587Recorded votes H2588, H2589consideration (H. Res. 489), previous question | Erin Houchin R-IN, James P. McGovern D-MA (amendment), Lateefah Simon D-CA | Jun 10, 2025 |
| House | Debate and remarks H2537 | John Joyce R-PA | Jun 9, 2025 |
Research
What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.
Congressional Budget Office cost estimate
- Mar 10, 2025S. 331, HALT Fentanyl ActAs reported by the Senate Committee on the Judiciary on March 3, 2025
Printed hearings 1
Hearings whose printed record names this bill, newest first: hearings on it, and wider hearings where it came up.
| Number | Hearing | Committee | Held |
|---|---|---|---|
| S. Hrg. 119-51 | ADVANCING AMERICAN INTERESTS IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE47 pages | Foreign Relations Committee | Mar 5, 2025 |
CRS reports 2
Congressional Research Service work that CRS links to this bill or the law it became, newest first.
Cite it 2
Products on other subjects that cite it, usually among other measures.
| Product | Title | Kind | Published |
|---|---|---|---|
| R49477 | Classwide Scheduling of Controlled Substances | Report | Oct 2, 2026 |
| IF10400 | Illicit Fentanyl and Mexico’s Role | Resource | Aug 26, 2025 |
Amendments 35
Amendments offered to this bill.
| Amendment | Description | Offered by | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| SA 1231 | No description on file | Peter Welch D-VT | Senate amendment submitted |
| SA 1232 | No description on file | Margaret Wood Hassan D-NH | Senate amendment submitted |
| SA 1233 | No description on file | Cory A. Booker D-NJ | Senate amendment submitted |
| SA 1234 | No description on file | Cory A. Booker D-NJ | Senate amendment submitted |
| SA 1235 | No description on file | Cory A. Booker D-NJ | Senate amendment submitted |
Related bills 2
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
Titles 9
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- A bill to amend the Controlled Substances Act with respect to the scheduling of fentanyl-related substances, and for other purposes.
- Short Title(s) as Introduced
- HALT Fentanyl Act
- Halt All Lethal Trafficking of Fentanyl Act
- Short Title(s) as Reported to Senate
- Halt All Lethal Trafficking of Fentanyl Act
- HALT Fentanyl Act
- Short Title(s) as Passed Senate
- HALT Fentanyl Act
- Halt All Lethal Trafficking of Fentanyl Act
- Short Titles from ENR (Enrolled) bill text
- HALT Fentanyl Act
- Halt All Lethal Trafficking of Fentanyl Act
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement.
Text 4
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- —Enrolled Bill
- Mar 14, 2025Engrossed in Senate
- Mar 3, 2025Reported to Senate
- Jan 30, 2025Introduced in Senate
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.
