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To amend the Controlled Substances Act to permanently schedule the class of benzimidazole-opioids known as nitazenes, and for other purposes.
Summary
The bill would amend federal drug law to permanently classify nitazenes—a class of synthetic opioids that are sometimes more potent than fentanyl—as Schedule I controlled substances. Nitazenes have emerged in the illicit drug supply and are associated with overdose deaths. The bill creates a class-wide scheduling based on chemical structure rather than scheduling individual compounds, allowing the law to address new variations as they appear. Any nitazenes that were previously placed under temporary scheduling would automatically become permanently scheduled under this law. The bill includes an exception allowing research to continue with proper federal registration and compliance.
AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.
Sponsor (1)
30 cosponsors
- Rep. Baird, James R. [R-IN-4] (R-IN)
- Rep. Baumgartner, Michael [R-WA-5] (R-WA)
- Rep. Bresnahan, Robert P. [R-PA-8] (R-PA)
- Rep. Carey, Mike [R-OH-15] (R-OH)
- Rep. Davis, Donald G. [D-NC-1] (D-NC)
- Rep. Fine, Randy [R-FL-6] (R-FL)
- Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1] (R-PA)
- Rep. Fry, Russell [R-SC-7] (R-SC)
- Rep. Gill, Brandon [R-TX-26] (R-TX)
- Rep. Goldman, Daniel S. [D-NY-10] (D-NY)
- Rep. Goodlander, Maggie [D-NH-2] (D-NH)
- Rep. Harrigan, Pat [R-NC-10] (R-NC)
- Rep. Harris, Andy [R-MD-1] (R-MD)
- Rep. Houlahan, Chrissy [D-PA-6] (D-PA)
- Rep. Kelly, Mike [R-PA-16] (R-PA)
- Rep. Lawler, Michael [R-NY-17] (R-NY)
- Rep. Lee, Susie [D-NV-3] (D-NV)
- Rep. Liccardo, Sam T. [D-CA-16] (D-CA)
- Rep. Mackenzie, Ryan [R-PA-7] (R-PA)
- Rep. McCormick, Richard [R-GA-7] (R-GA)
- Rep. Neguse, Joe [D-CO-2] (D-CO)
- Rep. Onder, Robert F. [R-MO-3] (R-MO)
- Rep. Pfluger, August [R-TX-11] (R-TX)
- Rep. Ross, Deborah K. [D-NC-2] (D-NC)
- Rep. Salazar, Maria Elvira [R-FL-27] (R-FL)
- Rep. Schmidt, Derek [R-KS-2] (R-KS)
- Rep. Suozzi, Thomas R. [D-NY-3] (D-NY)
- Rep. Taylor, David J. [R-OH-2] (R-OH)
- Rep. Thompson, Glenn [R-PA-15] (R-PA)
- Rep. Van Epps, Matt [R-TN-7] (R-TN)
Actions (2)
- Sep 16, 2025 Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned. · house
- Sep 16, 2025 Introduced in House
Similar bills (6)
Bills with similar text or summary — includes reintroductions across Congresses. Ranked by semantic similarity of the bill text (computed locally); a neutral discovery aid, not a claim the bills are duplicates.
Text versions (1)
Bills are re-published as they move (Introduced → Reported → Engrossed → Enrolled …). Each stage below is a separate text; pick two to see what changed. Data from Congress.gov.
Full text
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 16, 2025
Mr. Vindman (for himself and Mr. Baumgartner) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
A BILL
To amend the Controlled Substances Act to permanently schedule the class of benzimidazole-opioids known as nitazenes, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the “Nitazene Control Act of 2025”.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) 2-Benzylbenzimidazole opioids are a class of synthetic opioids first synthesized in the 1950s. They exhibit significant potency at the mu-opioid receptor, with some substances exceeding the potency of fentanyl.
(2) The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has temporarily or permanently scheduled multiple 2- benzylbenzimidazole opioid compounds under Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act due to their high abuse potential and lack of accepted medical use.
(3) Nitazenes and related compounds have emerged in the illicit drug supply as designer drugs and contribute to overdose and fatal poisonings in the United States.
(4) A class-wide permanent scheduling of 2- benzylbenzimidazole opioids is necessary to preemptively address the proliferation of new analogs, streamline enforcement, and protect public health.
(5) The HALT Fentanyl Act created pathways for research using Schedule I controlled substances which apply to scheduled nitazenes.
SEC. 3. SCHEDULE I CLASSIFICATION OF NITAZENES.
(a) Amendment.—Section 202(c) of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 812(c)) is amended by adding at the end of Schedule I the following:
“(f) 2-Benzylbenzimidazole opioids, commonly referred to as ‘nitazenes’, their isomers, esters, ethers, salts and salts of isomers, esters, and ethers, including:
“(1) Is structurally related to 2-benzylbenzimidazole with the following modifications:
“(A) At the 1-position, substitution with an alkyl linker connected to a substituted amine group containing hydrogen, alkyl, alkenyl, and/or heteroaryl group (e.g. morphilino, pyrrolidino, or piperidinyl groups), whether or not further substituted.
“(B) At the 2-position: “i. Replacement of the alkyl portion of the benzyl group with a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, alkoxy, carbamates group, nitrogen, sulfur, and/or oxygen atoms. “ii. Replacement of the phenyl portion of the benzyl group with an aryl or heteroaryl group.
“(C) Substitution on the phenyl portion of the benzimidazole ring with a hydrogen atom, halogen, nitro, cyano, substituted or unsubstituted amide, amine, alkyl, alkoxy, aryl, and/or heteroaryl groups.
“(D) At the 6-position, substitution with hydrogen, nitro, trifluoromethyl, methoxy, trifluoromethoxy, cyano, and halogen groups.; and
“(2) Exhibits agonist activity at the mu-opioid receptor. Such substances include, but are not limited to: etonitazene, clonitazene, metonitazene, isotonitazene, protonitazene, butonitazene, etodesnitazene, flunitazene, N-pyrrolidino etonitazene, N-desethyl isotonitazene, and N-piperidinyl etonitazene.”.
(b) Removal of Temporary Status.—Any substance included in the amendment to section 202(c) of the Controlled Substances Act made by this section that was temporarily scheduled under section 201(h) of the Controlled Substances Act shall be deemed permanently scheduled and subject to the requirements of Schedule I as of the date of enactment of this Act.
(c) Rule of Construction.—Nothing in this section or the amendments made by this section shall be construed to authorize the initiation of new research using substances described in the amendment made by subsection (a) without proper registration and scheduling compliance. <all>
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