WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) released the following statement after the Senate passed the Halt All Lethal Trafficking of (HALT) Fentanyl Act, which would help keep this deadly drug off of Texas’ streets by permanently classifying fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I before their temporary status expires at the end of March:

“This legislation is essential to stopping the flow of illicit fentanyl that has infiltrated our nation like a thief in the night and taken hundreds of thousands of innocent lives,” said Sen. Cornyn. “As the clock ticks down, I urge my colleagues in the House to send it to President Trump’s desk without delay, and I appreciate Attorney General Bondi and my Senate colleagues for their efforts to combat the fentanyl crisis and make our communities safe again.”

Background:

Fentanyl is a controlled substance, and U.S. statute prohibits its use. Illicit drug manufacturers and traffickers sidestep the law by producing fentanyl-related substances – drugs that are substantially similar to fentanyl, but chemically tweaked ever so slightly – to push potent drugs into the U.S. on a technicality. Fentanyl-related overdoses account for nearly 70% of drug overdose deaths nationwide, and fentanyl poisoning is the leading cause of death for 18-45 year olds.

To keep pace with rapidly evolving drugs and combat the epidemic of opioid-related deaths, in 2018, the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the leadership of President Trump, temporarily restricted all fentanyl-related substances. Since then, Congress has repeatedly extended President Trump’s temporary scheduling order. The HALT Fentanyl Act would permanently extend the 2018 Schedule I classification for fentanyl-related substances, which is set to expire on March 31, 2025.

The HALT Fentanyl Act was passed out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which Sen. Cornyn serves on, by a bipartisan vote of 16-5 on Feb. 27, 2025. Attorney General Pam Bondi and President Trump’s Office of Management and Budget have endorsed the legislation.

The HALT Fentanyl Act would:

1. Amend the Controlled Substances Act to permanently classify illicit fentanyl knockoffs, known as fentanyl-related substances, as Schedule I;
2. Protect patients’ access to legitimate, FDA-approved fentanyl for medical purposes directed by a physician;
3. Support law enforcement and codify existing criminal penalties to ensure illicit manufacturers and traffickers can be fully prosecuted and victims and their families receive justice;
4. And advance scientific and medical research by streamlining registration processes and allowing more scientists to study fentanyl-related substances.

The HALT Fentanyl Act is supported by more than 40 major advocacy groups, including a coalition of more than 200 groups made up of families personally impacted by fentanyl.