WASHINGTON, D.C. (WKZO AM/FM) – Sixth District U.S. Congressman Fred Upton (R-St. Joseph) Wednesday helped introduce the Halt All Lethal Trafficking (HALT) Fentanyl Act, which he says is bipartisan legislation that would permanently list fentanyl-related substances (FRS) in Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, simplify the registration process for Schedule I substance research, and provide for exemption of individual FRS from Schedule I when evidence demonstrates it is appropriate.
The legislation would also prevent any attempts to remove federal mandatory minimum sentences for fentanyl possession and unlawful distribution. Schedule I drugs are those that have no currently accepted medical use and pose a high potential for abuse.
“Tragically, too many families know the pain firsthand of losing a loved one to a drug overdose,” said Rep. Fred Upton. “Last year alone, 100,000 Americans died from an overdose; numbers that are just heartbreaking. We must continue to work together to support treatment options for vulnerable folks, remove dangerous opioids like fentanyl from our communities, and hold violent drug traffickers accountable for flooding our country with life-threatening drugs.”
Upton says earlier this year, the Biden Administration proposed far less stringent penalties for drug traffickers who illegally transport opioids across the Southern Border. Under this bipartisan legislation, convicted opioid traffickers would face serious consequences for threatening public health and endangering American lives.
The emergency class-wide scheduling order for fentanyl-related substances expires February 18th, 2022 if there is no congressional action.
You can watch Rep. Upton’s remarks in the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee on the fentanyl epidemic HERE.
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