Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti is among a coalition of state attorneys general calling on the U.S. Senate to pass the HALT Fentanyl Act.
The Halt All Lethal Trafficking of Fentanyl Act – or the HALT Fentanyl Act – would permanently place fentanyl-related substances, known as fentanyl analogues, as a class into schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act.
A schedule I controlled substance is a “drug, substance, or chemical that has a high potential for abuse; has no currently accepted medical value; and is subject to regulatory controls and administrative, civil, and criminal penalties under the Controlled Substances Act.”
A single kilogram of fentanyl could potentially claim the lives of 500,000 Americans, highlighting the deadly potency of this substance.
By classifying fentanyl analogues—synthetic drugs designed to skirt U.S. legislation—we can close existing legal loopholes and prevent bad… pic.twitter.com/M7e2niQzDh
— TN Attorney General (@AGTennessee) February 13, 2025
The bill passed the House earlier this month by a 312-108 vote.
Skrmetti joined 24 other state attorneys general in sending a letter to Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) requesting that the Senate take up and pass the bill “as soon as possible.”
The attorneys general said the passage of the HALT Fentanyl Act would provide law enforcement with the “tools needed to prosecute the sale and use of illicit fentanyl analogues.”
“Placing fentanyl analogues on Schedule I must be done permanently. Permanent scheduling allows the criminal prosecution of anyone caught possessing, distributing, or manufacturing illicit variations of the drug—“a task previously burdensome for prosecutors”— without the uncertainty of whether the temporary authorization will expire during the prosecution,” the attorneys general explained.
“The fentanyl crisis has devastated many American communities, families, and lives, including those in our respective States. This national catastrophe requires a serious federal solution…We urge you to take up and pass the HALT Fentanyl Act as soon as possible,” the letter concluded.
The leading cause of death for Americans aged 18 to 45 is fentanyl overdose.
In 2023, Tennessee recorded a total of 2,930 opioid-related deaths, averaging 39.6 deaths per 100,000 people – the fifth highest in the nation, according to a study by the law firm group White Law PLLC.
Of the 2,930 opioid-related deaths in the Volunteer State, 63 percent involved fentanyl.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
