Des Moines Sun

President Donald Trump has signed the Halt All Lethal Trafficking of (HALT) Fentanyl Act into law. This legislation permanently classifies illicit, fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I drugs. The act was led by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Chairman Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.), and Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.).

"The HALT Fentanyl Act is now the law of the land, marking a major victory in America’s fight against fentanyl," said Grassley. "By permanently classifying fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I, the HALT Fentanyl Act will save American lives and prevent deadly fentanyl knockoffs from making their way into Iowa communities. I applaud President Trump’s action today, as well as his ongoing commitment to turning the corner on the Biden administration’s disastrous policies and creating a safer America."

The HALT Fentanyl Act was introduced in January by Grassley, Cassidy, and Heinrich. It advanced through the Senate Judiciary Committee in February, passed by the Senate in March, and cleared by the House of Representatives in June with overwhelming support.

The bipartisan bill has backing from over 40 major advocacy groups, including a coalition of more than 200 impacted family groups and law enforcement organizations representing over a million officers.