WASHINGTON, D.C.— Senator Ashley Moody today announced her support as a cosponsor of S. 331, the HALT Fentanyl Act. This legislation would permanently classify fentanyl-related substances under Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, as well as establish penalties.
Senator Ashley Moody said, “Every week, the equivalent of a high school classroom worth of students dies from a fentanyl overdose. It is our responsibility as leaders to do something about this now. Law enforcement officials, national organizations, and state organizations across our country are pleading for this bill. We cannot and will not stop going after people who peddle this poison. Hundreds of thousands of lives depend on it.”
Senator Moody has been a long-time leader fighting against the scourges of fentanyl. As Florida’s Attorney General, Moody became the first to call for fentanyl to be declared a weapon of mass destruction. In 2022, Attorney General Moody called on the Biden administration to designate Mexican drug cartels foreign terrorists, an action President Trump took on his first day in office. Attorney General Moody also led the charge in the state’s historic opioid litigation – securing billions to remediate and abate the impacts of the opioid crisis in Florida.
While Attorney General, Florida law enforcement led the nation in fentanyl seizure operations. In 2023, the state’s fentanyl death rate dropped 11%, while the national average decreased just 2% during the same time frame.
As Florida’s Attorney General, Senator Moody took the following action:
- AG Moody Leads Multistate Effort Calling on Biden to Rule Fentanyl a WMD
- Attorney General Moody Demands President Biden Declare Mexican Drug Cartels Terrorist Organizations
- Attorney General Moody Leads Multistate Effort Urging U.S. Senate to Promptly Pass Halt Fentanyl Act
- VIDEO: AG Moody Issues Emergency Rule Outlawing Eight Deadly Synthetic Opioids
- AG Moody Warns Floridians About Lethal Counterfeit Pills
- AG Moody Fights to Pass Fight Act
- VIDEO: Attorney General Moody Launches Helping Heroes to Provide Free Naloxone to Florida First Responders Now Through 2033
- 2022 National Recovery Month Kicks Off with Launch of Lifesaving Tool in Florida
- VIDEO: AG Moody Launches Dose of Reality Website
- 1PCK: AG Moody Releases Fast Facts on Fentanyl
- VIDEO: AG Moody Warns of Flesh-Eating Drug Mixed with Fentanyl
- Attorney General Moody Launches Hallway Heroes and Names 2023 School Resource Officer of the Year
- Attorney General Moody Launches Idle Time: A Summer Safety Series with a Warning About Fentanyl and Other Dangerous Drugs
- AG Moody Announces New Partnership with 211 to Combat Opioid Epidemic
- AG Moody Leads Effort to Extend Treatment of Opioids
Furthermore, as Attorney General, Moody supported legislative actions to address the opioid crisis. In 2023, alongside Gov. DeSantis, Attorney General Moody fought for passage of the State Assistance for Fentanyl Eradication Initiative — which grants money to law enforcement agencies to combat fentanyl. With $15 million allocated for SAFE grants, these investigations resulted in law enforcement seizing more than 290 pounds of fentanyl — enough to kill more than 65 million people.
See Senator Moody’s recent comments on the HALT Fentanyl Act here.
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