WASHINGTON – Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) co-sponsored the bipartisan Halt All Lethal Trafficking of (HALT) Fentanyl Act to permanently classify fentanyl-related substances (FRS) as Schedule I drugs under the Controlled Substances Act.
This legislation will give law enforcement the tools they need to keep extremely lethal and dangerous drugs off our streets and streamline scientific research on these substances.
“We cannot stand by while fentanyl continues to devastate families in Arizona. This bill gives law enforcement the tools they need to crack down on traffickers and keep our communities safe,” said Senator Gallego. “I will continue to fight to keep fentanyl off our streets because Arizonans’ lives are on the line.”
The bipartisan legislation was led by Senators Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and has broad bipartisan support, including from fellow Arizona Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and Senators Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Todd Young (R-IN), Steve Daines (R-MT), Eric Schmitt (R-MO), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Mike Rounds (R-SD), John Kennedy (R-LA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and Angus King (I-ME).
Fentanyl-related substances contributed to nearly 75,000 overdose deaths in 2023. Traffickers have exploited legal loopholes to evade prosecution, prompting repeated temporary scheduling extensions by Congress. The HALT Fentanyl Act would close these loopholes permanently.
The Halt All Lethal Trafficking of (HALT) Fentanyl Act:
- Would classify all illicitly manufactured FRS as Schedule I drugs, ensuring clear and enforceable penalties under the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
- Would impose mandatory minimum penalties of 5 years for 10 grams or more and 10 years for 100 grams or more; discretionary maximum penalties of 40 years for 10 grams or more and life for 100 grams or more.
- Would streamline the registration process for studying Schedule I substances, allowing researchers to better understand and address the fentanyl crisis.
In 2023, Senator Gallego voted in favor the bill in as a member of the US House of Representatives. As a Congressman, Senator Gallego also introduced The Buck Stops Here Act to combat fentanyl money laundering.