NEWS: Harder Helps Pass Bipartisan Bill to Put More Fentanyl Traffickers Behind Bars
Traffickers evade prosecution by changing fentanyl’s chemical compound
More than 10,000 overdose deaths in California between 2023 and 2024
WASHINGTON – Today, following a new report that more than 10,000 Californians died from overdoses between 2023 and 2024, Rep. Josh Harder (CA-09) voted to pass a bipartisan bill through the U.S. House to close a deadly loophole in fentanyl regulation that allows traffickers to evade prosecution.
Fentanyl, which alone was responsible for nearly 75,000 deaths in the U.S. in 2023, is a controlled substance and carries severe penalties for its manufacture and use. However, drug traffickers are able to evade these regulations by slightly altering the drug’s chemical compound. The Halt All Lethal Trafficking of (HALT) Fentanyl Act closes this loophole by classifying fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I drugs, giving law enforcement the tools it needs to crack down on this crisis.
“Drug traffickers are killing our loved ones and getting away with it because of a stupid legal loophole. It’s past time that we gave law enforcement the tools they need to put these criminals behind bars for good,” said Rep. Harder. “This bipartisan bill strengthens local law enforcement, cracks down on drug traffickers, and delivers on our responsibility to keep our families safe.”
Harder has worked across the aisle to support law enforcement efforts in the fight against the drug epidemic, including championing legislation to invest in high intensity drug trafficking prevention and disrupting illegal drug manufacturing. Earlier this week, Harder met with more than 200 narcotics officers representing state associations across the country, including in California, as part of the National Narcotic Officers’ Associations’ Coalition’s (NNOAC) 2025 Delegate Conference.
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