The Constituency
← Back to bills
H.R. 27 · Crime and Law Enforcement
HALT Fentanyl Act
Introduced Jan 3, 2025 · Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Amendment adopted
Rep. Trahan, Lori [D-MA-3] (D-MA)

An amendment numbered 2 printed in Part B of House Report 119-2 to delay the enactment of this bill until the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Attorney General each certify that the bill will lead to a reduction in overdose deaths.

On agreeing to the Trahan amendment (A002) Failed by the Yeas and Nays: 182 - 226 (Roll no. 32).

What does this mean?

Fentanyl-related substances—chemical variations of the drug fentanyl—would be permanently classified in the strictest legal drug category, meaning anyone caught making, selling, or possessing them faces the same criminal penalties as regular fentanyl, including mandatory prison sentences of at least 10 years for larger quantities. Scientists who want to study these substances for medical research would get an easier registration process, including options to cover multiple lab locations under one approval and skip repeat inspections in some cases. The bill also puts Congress on record agreeing with a court ruling that let prosecutors treat a fentanyl variant as similar enough to fentanyl to prosecute it the same way, even though the law's usual definition would normally exclude it.

Read the official CRS summary on Congress.gov →
Bill Lifecycle
Real action history from Congress.gov — where this bill is in the process, and every recorded step along the way.
Introduced in House
Jan 3, 2025
Referred to Committee
Jan 3, 2025
Passed House
Feb 6, 2025
Received in Senate
Feb 10, 2025
Full action history (14)
Jan 3, 2025Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Jan 3, 2025Introduced in House
Feb 4, 2025Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 93 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 27 with 1 hour of general debate. Motion to recommit allowed. The resolution makes in order only the further amendment printed in Part B of the Rules Committee report.
Feb 5, 2025Rule H. Res. 93 passed House.
Feb 6, 2025Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
Feb 6, 2025On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 312 - 108 (Roll no. 33). (text: CR H520-522)
Spot an error on this page, or have a suggestion? Send feedback →