Particle.news
Download on the App Store
30 ARTICLES
·
last mo.

Trump Signs HALT Fentanyl Act to Permanently Classify Analogs as Schedule I

It responds to calls from overdose victims' families by imposing mandatory sentences targeting illicit fentanyl networks.

Image
Image
U.S President Donald Trump speaks before signing the HALT Fentanyl Act, in the East Room at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 16, 2025. REUTERS/Nathan Howard
U.S President Donald Trump holds the HALT Fentanyl Act after signing, in the East Room at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 16, 2025. REUTERS/Nathan Howard

Overview

  • President Trump signed the HALT Fentanyl Act into law at a White House ceremony on July 16, 2025, joined by relatives of overdose victims.
  • The legislation permanently places all fentanyl-related substances, including synthetic analogs, under Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act.
  • Anyone convicted of trafficking a fentanyl-related substance will face a mandatory minimum prison term of 10 years.
  • The law closes regulatory loopholes that previously allowed underground chemists to tweak fentanyl’s molecular structure to evade federal controls.
  • Researchers gain streamlined access to study controlled substances through single registrations, waived inspections in certain cases and limited small-scale manufacturing permissions.