on July 9, 2025

HALT Fentanyl Act and SAMHSA Panel Update: Key Changes in 2025

 

by Greta Walsh, Consultant at Current Consulting Group

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Major Federal Actions Target the Ongoing Fentanyl Crisis 

In 2025, two major federal initiatives are reshaping how the U.S. government addresses the fentanyl epidemic: the HALT Fentanyl Act and an important update from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). These actions aim to crack down on trafficking and improve drug testing protocols in safety-sensitive workplaces. 

The HALT Fentanyl Act Goes Permanent

Last month, Congress passed the HALT (Halt All Lethal Trafficking) Fentanyl Act in bipartisan fashion—84–16 in the Senate and 321–104 in the House—sending the legislation to President Trump’s desk for signing. 

What the Act Does

  • Applies existing Schedule I penalties (mandatory minimums for trafficking, e.g. 10-year minimums for 100g or more) to FRS. 
  • Retains pathways for legitimate research, allowing streamlined registration for studies even with small quantities of Schedule I substances. 

Key Support and Criticism

  • Supporters argue it strengthens law enforcement tools and closes loopholes traffickers exploit with fentanyl analogues. Fentanyl analogues, often referred to as copycat fentanyl, are synthetic drugs designed to bypass U.S. drug laws and are frequently more potent and dangerous than prescription fentanyl. 
  • Critics, including drug policy and civil rights groups, warn that it may: 
    • Increase reliance on punitive measures and mandatory minimum sentencing.
    • Disproportionately affect communities of color. 
    • Create barriers for scientific research into potentially beneficial fentanyl derivatives. 

SAMHSA Updates Federal Drug-Testing Panels for Fentanyl

On January 16, 2025, SAMHSA released a regulatory update, effective July 7, 2025, adding fentanyl and norfentanyl to the mandatory drug testing panels for urine and oral fluid under federal workplace programs. 

What’s Changing

  • The updated panels officially include fentanyl and its metabolite norfentanyl, alongside Schedule I and II drugs. 
  • These changes remain limited to federal agency testing under the authority of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Department of Transportation (DOT)-regulated sectors (e.g., Federal Aviation Administration, or FAA; Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, or FMCSA) are not currently affected. 
  • Laboratories must adopt new naming conventions (e.g., Δ9THC, Δ9THCC) for clarity in toxicology reporting. 

Why Now?

Driving this change is the surge in fentanyl-involved overdose deaths over the past few years, accounting for more than 70% of opioid fatalities, as well as rising workplace drug positivity rates. 

Connecting the Legislative and Regulatory Dots 

These developments form a two-pronged federal response to the fentanyl crisis: 

  1. Legal: The HALT Fentanyl Act strengthens criminal penalties and solidifies Schedule I classification for fentanyl analogues. 
  2. Testing & Prevention: SAMHSA’s July 7 update bolsters detection tools, enabling agencies to identify fentanyl exposure before incidents occur. 

In Summary

The HALT Fentanyl Act and the SAMHSA drug testing panel update represent two coordinated federal responses to the escalating fentanyl crisis. The HALT Fentanyl Act, passed by Congress in June 2025, permanently classifies all fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I under the Controlled Substances Act. This move restores and reinforces prior temporary classifications while applying stricter penalties for trafficking and ensuring that researchers still have a path to study these substances. 

Meanwhile, the SAMHSA update, effective July 7, 2025, adds fentanyl and norfentanyl to the mandatory drug testing panels used in federal workplace programs. This regulatory change aims to enhance the government’s ability to detect fentanyl use in safety-sensitive roles and respond to growing concerns about workplace impairment and overdose risks. 

Together, these actions reflect a broader shift toward proactive deterrence, combining legal enforcement with enhanced detection. As implementation moves forward, policymakers, employers, and researchers alike will be evaluating how these measures impact public health, workplace safety, criminal justice, and scientific advancement. 

 

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