U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi joined her colleagues in the Senate to pass a bipartisan bill aimed at combating fentanyl-related crime and overdoses. The Senate voted 84-16 in favor of the Halt All Lethal Trafficking of Fentanyl Act, or HALT Fentanyl Act (S.331), which seeks to make permanent the temporary classification of fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I under the Controlled Substances Act. This classification is set to expire on March 31.
Hyde-Smith emphasized the importance of maintaining this classification, stating, “It is absolutely vital that we keep fentanyl permanently classified as a dangerous drug, subject to tight control and serious punishment.” She attributed a rise in fentanyl-related crime and deaths in Mississippi and nationwide to what she described as “the open border policies of the Biden years.”
The legislation not only aims to retain Schedule I status for these substances but also includes provisions for research related to fentanyl, controlled substance dispensing, and criminal penalties associated with fentanyl-related crimes. However, lawful uses of fentanyl for accepted medical practices will continue under its Schedule II classification.
S.331 builds upon previous efforts like the Stopping Overdoses of Fentanyl Analogues (SOFA) Act (S.165), which Hyde-Smith originally cosponsored. It intends to permanently categorize fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I drugs.
The issue has become increasingly urgent due to an epidemic involving synthetic opioids such as illegal fentanyl, largely manufactured in Mexico with raw materials from China. These opioids have become the leading cause of death among young adults aged 18 to 45 in the U.S., accounting for 66 percent of total overdose deaths according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported record seizures of nearly 50,000 pounds of fentanyl over two fiscal years—enough for more than 2 billion lethal doses. In January 2025 alone, CBP seized 1,029 pounds of fentanyl while methamphetamine seizures rose by 15 percent.
