HR 920119th CongressIn Committee

Federal Initiative to Guarantee Health by Targeting Fentanyl Act

Introduced: Feb 4, 2025

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

The Federal Initiative to Guarantee Health by Targeting Fentanyl Act (H.R. 920) would expand federal control over fentanyl-related substances by placing them in Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act. Schedule I is the most restrictive category, indicating high potential for abuse, no accepted medical use, and a lack of accepted safety. The bill also removes certain mandatory minimum sentences for offenses involving these fentanyl-related substances, giving judges more discretion in sentencing. The overall aim is to tighten federal oversight and penalties for fentanyl analogs in an effort to curb illegal production and distribution, with potential implications for researchers, manufacturers, and law enforcement.

Key Points

1The bill adds a new Schedule I designation (e)(1) for any material containing fentanyl-related substances or their salts, isomers, and salts of isomers, whenever such forms are possible under the chemical designation.
2“Fentanyl-related substances” are defined by specific structural modifications to fentanyl, including changes to the phenyl portion of the phenethyl group, substitutions on the phenethyl or piperidine rings, substitutions on the aniline ring, and replacement of the N-propionyl group with another acyl group.
3The definition is broad and includes any substance structurally related to fentanyl by the enumerated modifications.
4Affected individuals would face Schedule I penalties, subject to the same strict prohibitions as other Schedule I substances.
5The bill also removes the mandatory minimum sentencing requirements under 21 U.S.C. 841(b)(1)(C) for offenses involving fentanyl-related substances, thereby eliminating the minimum terms previously required for certain offenses.

Impact Areas

Primary group/area affected: Federal law enforcement, prosecutors, and individuals involved in manufacturing, distributing, or possessing fentanyl-related substances. The change to Schedule I and the removal of minimum sentences are likely to increase penalties and alter charging and sentencing dynamics at the federal level.Secondary group/area affected: Researchers and entities involved in legitimate pharmaceutical or chemical research that might encounter fentanyl-related chemistry, who could face additional regulatory hurdles due to Schedule I status.Additional impacts: Public health and safety outcomes (potential reduction in illegal fentanyl supply) and broader implications for the federal drug-control regime, including how courts apply penalties and how chemical suppliers categorize and monitor fentanyl-related substances.

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