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Senate Judiciary Committee advances HALT fentanyl bill after contested markup; several bipartisan amendments defeated
Summary
The Senate Judiciary Committee debated and ultimately reported the HALT fentanyl bill after extended markup, rejecting several bipartisan amendments that sponsors said would expand prevention, harm-reduction and transparency.
The Senate Judiciary Committee spent several hours debating the HALT (Halt Analogous Lethal Toxins) fentanyl bill and a string of proposed amendments addressing prevention, reporting and harm-reduction measures. Committee members repeatedly pressed for a balance between quickly scheduling fentanyl-related substances and adding bipartisan harm-reduction and prevention measures such as school-based education, testing strips and DEA reporting.
Senator Cornyn and other proponents argued permanent scheduling of fentanyl analogs should not be delayed because of additional amendments and warned that postponing action would lead to more overdose deaths. Senator Booker, Senator Hirono and other members pressed to add measures they described as pragmatic, bipartisan, and life-saving — including school…
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