Hawkeye Reporter

President Donald Trump has signed the Halt All Lethal Trafficking of (HALT) Fentanyl Act into law. The legislation permanently places illicit fentanyl-related substances in Schedule I, a category reserved for drugs considered to have a high potential for abuse and no accepted medical use.

The HALT Fentanyl 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 Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.). The bill moved through Congress after being introduced in January, advanced by the Senate Judiciary Committee in February, passed by the Senate in March, and approved by the House of Representatives in June. Both chambers passed the measure with large majorities.

Senator Grassley commented on the signing: “The HALT Fentanyl Act is now the law of the land, marking a major victory in America’s fight against fentanyl,” Grassley said. “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 bill received bipartisan support from lawmakers and has been endorsed by more than 40 advocacy groups. It also has backing from a coalition representing over 200 impacted family groups as well as law enforcement organizations with more than one million officers.