Davids Votes for Bipartisan Legislation to Combat Fentanyl Epidemic

Today, Representative Sharice Davids voted for bipartisan legislation that would restrict access to fentanyl and provide greater resources to local law enforcement to combat its use in Kansas. The HALT Fentanyl Act would permanently place all fentanyl-related substances into a Schedule I class, labeling the drug with a high potential for abuse and no currently accepted medical value.

“Fentanyl is devastating communities in Kansas and across the nation, and we must do more to protect folks at home from this deadly drug,” said Davids. “After hearing from local law enforcement officials and health care workers on the challenges they face, categorizing fentanyl as a Schedule I substance will give them more resources to combat this public health emergency and save lives. I’m glad the House came together in a bipartisan fashion to keep Kansans safe.”

Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid up to 100 times stronger than morphine, is increasingly found in fake prescription pills such as Vicodin, OxyContin, or hydrocodone. The Drug Enforcement Agency temporarily classified fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I drugs in 2018, with Congress extending it multiple times — most recently until March 31, 2025. Today’s bipartisan bill makes this classification permanent, strengthening law enforcement’s ability to combat its production and distribution.

Davids previously met with Libby Davis, a Johnson County resident, whose son passed away after taking a counterfeit pill that was unknowingly laced with fentanyl. Following their meeting, Davids co-sponsored and helped pass legislation through the House that creates a public awareness campaign about synthetic opioids through the Department of Health and Human Services. 

Davids, a member of the bipartisan Fentanyl Prevention Caucus, has also collaborated with Midwest HIDTA, a regional office working to reduce illicit drug availability, on multiple fentanyl summits with health care workers, education professionals, and law enforcement officers. She has also taken several legislative actions based on the specific needs of the Kansas Third District, including:

• Joining a bipartisan group of lawmakers to request funding for new handheld mass spectrometry trace level chemical detection devices at domestic ports.
• Urging the FDA to take up expert recommendations and make Narcan, a common naloxone nasal spray, available without a prescription — which they did earlier this year.
• Securing a nearly $16 million grant to help law enforcement seize illicit drugs like fentanyl, reduce violent crime associated with drug trafficking, and improve data collection.
• Hosting a Facebook Live conversation with Blue Valley School District and Johnson County Mental Health Center about opioid use in schools.
• Pushing for expanded federal grant opportunities, so law enforcement and Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) can easily acquire life-saving Naloxone kits.
• Visiting the Port of Long Beach to see how the port uses state-of-the-art technologies to prevent harmful substances — like fentanyl — from entering the country illegally.

Community members looking to learn more about how to keep their families safe can visit the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s Kansas City-focused website. Resources and prevention services for individuals, families, schools, and others are available.