BRISTOL, VA (WVDN) — West Virginia Attorney General JB McCuskey joined Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares, Virginia Congressman Morgan Griffith, and local officials and law enforcement in Bristol, VA, today to discuss how the HALT Fentanyl Act will help combat the opioid crisis.
President Trump signed the bill into law on July 16, 2025. The Act closes the copycat fentanyl loophole and will save American lives. Copycat fentanyl, or fentanyl analogues, are lab-created drugs that are made to avoid certain harsher penalties under previous U.S. law. These fentanyl analogues are often more harmful than prescription fentanyl.
Attorney General McCuskey was part of a coalition, led by Attorney General Miyares, pushing for the bill’s passage. West Virginia and Virginia have faced similar challenges caused by the opioid epidemic and had the opportunity to discuss those challenges, and potential solutions, today.
“This is an important step in stopping the opioid epidemic and the tragic loss of American lives. Too many people have died because the loopholes allowed tainted illegal drugs and counterfeit pills to enter this country,” Attorney General McCuskey said. “Law enforcement will finally have the tools they need to stop the flow of these dangerous drugs into our communities.”
The Act permanently classifies all current and future fentanyl analogues as Schedule I drugs, the most restrictive category under the Controlled Substances Act. Previously, the class-wide schedule order for fentanyl-related substances placed these substances under federal control on a provisional basis with temporary extensions.
Under the law, the prescription drug fentanyl will remain a Schedule II substance and will continue to be an available treatment for extreme pain.
Additionally, the HALT Act gives law enforcement clearer enforcement authority to stop the trafficking of these drugs.
Attorney General McCuskey emphasized the importance of cooperation amongst the states and how it is imperative to focus on educating and empowering future generations to truly end the epidemic.
Congressman Griffith and Ohio Congressman Bob Latta led the bipartisan legislation.
