Pappas’s Bipartisan Bill to Extend Fentanyl Analogue Scheduling Included in Government Funding Package

Today, Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) and Congressman Dan Newhouse (WA-04) announced their legislation to extend the emergency scheduling of fentanyl analogues through December 31, 2024, has been included in the government funding package that will be considered by Congress this week.

“As we continue working to fight the addiction epidemic, it’s critical that we make sure law enforcement retains the tools they need to seize fentanyl-related substances and combat drug trafficking,” said Congressman Pappas. “My legislation to extend the temporary scheduling of fentanyl analogues will ensure that law enforcement can continue working to keep these deadly substances out of our communities. I want to thank Representative Newhouse for partnering with me on this issue, and I will continue to work across the aisle and alongside law enforcement and public safety experts as we fight for comprehensive solutions that will keep our families and communities safe.”

“Fentanyl is wreaking havoc on our communities in Central Washington, made worse by open-border policies which are allowing it to flood across our southern border at alarming rates,” said Congressman Newhouse. “That is why I introduced legislation to extend the scheduling of all fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I drugs so we can ensure our law enforcement officers have the critical tools they need to keep these dangerous drugs off the streets, reducing overdose numbers in our communities. I am pleased this legislation was included in the final omnibus, meaning certainty and safety for our communities is just around the corner.”

Background:

In May 2021, President Biden signed into law legislation introduced by Pappas in April 2021 to extend the Drug Enforcement Agency’s (DEA) temporary order to keep fentanyl analogues in Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act to ensure law enforcement can keep them off the streets. This is a designation used for substances with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.

At Pappas’s urging, FY 2022 appropriations extended his bipartisan legislation through December 31, 2022, to ensure there would be no lapse in scheduling. The inclusion of his new legislation in the government funding package will again extend temporary scheduling while he fights for the passage of permanent fentanyl analogue scheduling legislation.