SAFE Act

This bill makes a broad, permanent rule for fentanyl‑like drugs. It uses a class definition so new versions are covered right away, and the Justice Department must publish a public list of which chemicals fit that rule within 60 days . It also ends automatic minimum prison terms based only on drug weight for that broad class, while keeping these drugs controlled; the weight‑based mandatory minimums still apply to fentanyl itself and to individually listed fentanyl analogs, including in import and export cases .

The bill creates a science‑based way to remove or lower controls on a specific fentanyl‑like substance if studies show it is less risky; when federal health officials make that finding, the Justice Department must act within 90 days to take it off the list or move it to a lower level. People who were sentenced for a substance that later gets moved down can ask a judge to reduce their sentence. It also makes medical research easier: faster approvals (about 30–45 days), one registration that can cover multiple sites in the same city or county, the ability to keep studies going when a drug is newly restricted, and permission for small‑scale manufacturing tied to research, with added transparency from the Justice Department .

• Who is affected:

  • People charged in cases involving fentanyl‑like substances and the courts handling those cases .
  • Researchers and research institutions working with tightly controlled drugs.
  • The Justice Department and federal health officials, who must list substances and make science‑based decisions .

• What changes:

  • A class‑wide listing for fentanyl‑like drugs, with a public list of covered chemicals.
  • No automatic weight‑based minimum prison terms for that class; strong weight‑based penalties remain for fentanyl itself and named analogs, including for import/export .
  • A binding, science‑driven process to remove or move down specific substances, plus a chance for sentence reductions if a substance is later moved down .
  • Streamlined research rules (faster approvals, multi‑site coverage, continued studies, small‑scale manufacturing, transparency) .

• When:

  • New substances that fit the rule must be posted within 60 days of determination.
  • Implementing rules must be issued within 1 year.
  • A Government Accountability Office report on the impact is due within 4 years.