The HALT Fentanyl Act

• •Permanently adds 'fentanyl-related substances' to Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act.
• •Defines 'fentanyl-related substance' based on specific structural chemical modifications to the fentanyl molecule.
• •Allows the Attorney General to publish a list of these substances in the Federal Register, though absence from the list does not exempt a substance if it meets the structural definition.
• •Creates an expedited registration process for researchers studying Schedule I substances if the research is funded by HHS, DoD, or VA, or has an investigational use exemption.
• •Requires researchers with existing Schedule I/II registrations to provide 30 days' notice to the Attorney General before starting research on these substances.
• •Requires the Attorney General to register new researchers or issue an order to show cause within 45 days of receiving a complete application.
• •Mandates that the Attorney General provide an electronic submission system for research notifications.
• •Limits researchers to possessing only the quantities of substances identified in their notifications to the Attorney General.
• •Allows for supplemental notifications if a researcher requires additional quantities of a substance.
• •Specifies that this law does not alter existing requirements for the importation or exportation of controlled substances.

This law changes the legal status of various chemical compounds to Schedule I, which increases federal penalties for their possession, distribution, and manufacture, while simultaneously streamlining the research application process for scientists.

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.