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HYDE-SMITH VOTES TO KEEP FENTANYL A SCHEDULE I DRUG TO CURB OVERDOSES, DEATHS
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) today joined her Senate colleagues in passing bipartisan legislation to ensure law enforcement and prosecutors continue to have a key tool needed to combat the scourge of crime, overdoses, and deaths caused by fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances.
The Senate voted 84-16 to approve the Halt All Lethal Trafficking of Fentanyl Act or HALT Fentanyl Act (S.331), which would make permanent the temporary classification of fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act. The current temporary Schedule I classification expires March 31.
“It is absolutely vital that we keep fentanyl permanently classified as a dangerous drug, subject to tight control and serious punishment. The open border policies of the Biden years fueled a surge in fentanyl-related crime and deaths in Mississippi and across the nation. This legislation will ensure that we don’t let up on our fight to stop the flow of deadly drugs,” said Hyde-Smith, who cosponsored the HALT Fentanyl Act.
In addition to retaining Schedule I status for fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances, the legislation includes provisions related to fentanyl-related research, controlled substance dispensing, and criminal penalties for fentanyl-related substance crimes. Lawful fentanyl uses for currently-accepted medical practices would retain its Schedule II classification.
S.331 builds on the Stopping Overdoses of Fentanyl Analogues (SOFA) Act (S.165), of which Hyde-Smith is an original cosponsor. It would also permanently place fentanyl-related substances as a Schedule I class drug.
An epidemic of synthetic opioids, including illegal fentanyl largely manufactured in Mexico from raw materials supplied by China, have made overdoses the leading cause of death among young adults 18 to 45 years old. Synthetic opioids like fentanyl account for 66 percent of the total U.S. overdose deaths, with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimating 107,543 drug overdose deaths in the United States in 2023.
Fentanyl continues to pose a grave threat to Americans, with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CPB) seizing record amounts of fentanyl in the last two fiscal years – nearly 50,000 pounds or enough to produce more than 2 billion lethal doses. In January 2025, CBP seized 1,029 pounds of fentanyl, and methamphetamine seizures increased 15 percent.
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