U.S. Rep. Bob Latta (R-OH) on Feb. 6 introduced legislation to amend the Controlled Substances Act so that fentanyl-related substances may be listed as schedule I controlled substances.
“Fentanyl is 80-100 times stronger than morphine. This powerful drug is highly addictive and is being abused not just in Ohio, but in every state in our country,” Rep. Latta said. “If we do not take action to stop the spread of fentanyl in our communities, we will continue to see thousands of Americans lose their lives for years to come.”
Rep. Latta cosponsored the Federal Initiative to Guarantee Health by Targeting (FIGHT) Fentanyl Act, H.R. 5771, with bill sponsor U.S. Rep. Steve Chabot (R-OH) to provide the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) the ability to criminalize the manufacturing, distribution or possession of fentanyl-like drugs by permanently listing them as schedule I controlled substances under federal law.
The DEA’s most-recent designation to list scheduled fentanyl analogs as controlled substances expired on Feb. 6 and Congress has passed a temporary extension that, once signed by the president, will continue to criminalize fentanyl analogs until May 6, 2021.
If enacted, H.R. 5771 would end the need to keep passing temporary extensions, according to Rep. Latta’s office.
“While I am proud of the work Congress has already accomplished to combat drug abuse, the FIGHT Fentanyl Act takes our work to the next level by permanently listing fentanyl as a schedule I controlled substance so that we can better prevent fentanyl from destroying and taking American lives,” the congressman said.
H.R. 5771 is a companion bill to the same-named S. 2701, which was introduced on Oct. 24, 2019 by U.S. Sens. Rob Portman (R-OH) and Joe Manchin (D-WV).