The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) has assured members that its advocacy staff has worked with the sponsors of a bill that is moving through Congress with bipartisan support to make illicit fentanyl and related substances Schedule 1.
H.R. 467, the Halt All Lethal Trafficking of (HALT) Fentanyl bill passed the US House of Representatives on May 25. As of publishing deadline early July 2023, the US Senate was considering its version of the bill, which was originally introduced in 2021 by US Senator Bill Cassidy, MD (Republican, Louisiana), and US Senator Bill Burr (Republican, North Carolina).
The House bill passed 289-133, with 13 representatives not voting, on May 25, 2023, with bipartisan support. The bill had been introduced by US Representative H. Griffith Morgan (Republican, Virginia) on January 24, 2023. The bill had more than 50 cosponsors, including US Representative Brett Guthrie (Republican, Kentucky), who chairs the committee where the bill was heard.
Along party lines, the bill received 215 votes from Republican lawmakers, and 74 from Democratic lawmakers. Among the nays were 1 Republican and 132 Democratic members.
If the HALT bill passes in the Senate as it is, the legislation would permanently place fentanyl analogues or fentanyl-related substances (described as "any substance that is structurally related to fentanyl by one or more modifications") among Schedule 1 controlled substances.
According to ASA Monitor, the HALT bill does not target medical use fentanyl, which is a Schedule II drug.
"ASA worked closely with Rep. Guthrie, chair of the Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee, and members of House leadership to ensure that the HALT Act does not interrupt the supply of medical fentanyl in ORs," reported ASA Monitor. "Rep. Guthrie has made statements for the Congressional record to reaffirm Congress' intent to maintain the supply of medical fentanyl in surgery." (See: ASA Monitor, May 25, 2023, accessed July 4, 2023, and bill status reports for House and Senate at http://Congress.gov.)