STOP Nitazenes Act

Key Points

• This bill would permanently classify nitazenes — a group of extremely potent synthetic opioids — as Schedule 1 controlled substances under the Controlled Substances Act, the most restrictive drug category. Some of these substances are currently only temporarily scheduled.
• The bill names specific nitazene compounds like etonitazene, metonitazene, and isotonitazene, while also using broad chemical language to cover variations that drug makers might create to dodge the law.
• Any nitazene compounds that were previously banned on a temporary basis would automatically become permanently scheduled under this law, closing a gap where temporary bans could expire.
• The Attorney General would gain authority to publish a Federal Register list of substances meeting the nitazene definition, allowing the government to keep pace as new chemical variants emerge.
• The Justice Department must issue rules to implement the law within one year of enactment, and may use an interim final rule that takes effect immediately without the usual delay for public comment.