H.R. 5415 — Nitazene Control Act of 2025

This section sets forth congressional findings on 2-benzylbenzimidazole opioids (i.e., nitazenes and related compounds), including their high potency exceeding that of fentanyl in some cases; prior Drug Enforcement Administration scheduling of certain compounds as Schedule I controlled substances due to high abuse potential and lack of accepted medical use; their emergence in the illicit drug supply contributing to U.S. overdoses and fatalities; the need for class-wide permanent scheduling to address analogs, streamline enforcement, and protect public health; and the applicability of Schedule I research pathways created by the HALT Fentanyl Act.

This section classifies 2-benzylbenzimidazole opioids, commonly known as nitazenes—their isomers, esters, ethers, salts, and salts of isomers, esters, and ethers, including those structurally related with specified modifications (e.g., etonitazene, clonitazene, metonitazene, isotonitazene, protonitazene, butonitazene, etodesnitazene, flunitazene, N-pyrrolidino etonitazene, N-desethyl isotonitazene, and N-piperidinyl etonitazene)—in Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act. (Schedule I substances have high potential for abuse, no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States, and lack accepted safety for use under medical supervision; thus, they cannot be prescribed or dispensed medically and require DEA registration for research.) It further deems any temporarily scheduled nitazenes permanently scheduled as Schedule I substances and specifies that the amendment does not authorize new research without proper registration and scheduling compliance.