CONGRESS FOR VOTERS

Bill Cassidy (R-LA)

HALT Fentanyl Act

S. 331 · Senate bill Crime and Law Enforcement

A Republican bill with 6 Democratic cosponsors · See all 31 cosponsors

Last activity — Became Public Law No: 119-26.

Became law

Passed both chambers and was signed by the President, or became law without a signature.

Nothing more in Congress: it is law. When it takes effect depends on the dates written into it — some parts start at once, others a year or more later.

Its path through Congress

  1. Introduced
  2. Passed Senate 84–16
  3. Passed House 321–104
  4. To President
  5. Became Law

What this bill would do

This bill is known as the Halt All Lethal Trafficking of Fentanyl Act or the HALT Fentanyl Act. It permanently places all fentanyl-related substances into schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act. The legislation creates streamlined and expedited registration processes for researchers studying these controlled substances. It allows certain research institutions to share registrations among employees and use a single registration for multiple sites within the same city or county. The bill also explicitly applies federal criminal penalties for manufacturing, distributing, importing, or exporting to any fentanyl-related substance. Finally, it directs the Attorney General to issue interim final rules to implement the changes within six months.

Yes· 3 of 9

  • Scored +6

    Does this do more about addiction and overdose deaths?

    The act directly attempts to combat the fentanyl crisis by increasing penalties and attempting to decrease availablity.

  • Scored +3

    Does this make mental health care easier to get?

    Expedited research on Schedule I substances, including fentanyl, could speed up the development of treatments for addiction and overdose.

  • Scored +3

    Does this put more money into medical research?

    The bill streamlines research processes for schedule I substances, indirectly incentivizing funding.

The opposite· 3 of 10

  • Scored -3

    Does this shorten or soften prison sentences?

    Increased penalties for fentanyl-related substances could lead to longer prison sentences, hindering criminal sentencing reform efforts.

  • Scored -2

    Would households on low incomes be better off under this?

    Increased penalties could disproportionately affect low-income households due to the higher likelihood of being involved in the criminal justice system.

  • Scored -2

    Would Black Americans be better off under this?

    Increased penalties could disproportionately affect African Americans due to existing racial disparities in the criminal justice system.

What Congress actually voted on

4 recorded votes have been taken on this bill. 2 of them decided something; the rest moved it along.

  • The Senate: the vote on whether to pass the bill This is the real decision in this chamber. Passing here sends the bill to the other chamber, which must pass it too before it can go to the President. Passed 84 yes · 16 no

    See who voted how →

    03/14/2025 · Roll call 127 · recorded as “On Passage of the Bill S. 331”

  • The House: the vote on whether to pass the bill This is the real decision in this chamber. Passing here sends the bill to the other chamber, which must pass it too before it can go to the President. Passed 321 yes · 104 no

    See who voted how →

    06/12/2025 · Roll call 166 · recorded as “On Passage”