,,ii  #aaith ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #cjgf  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,october #cj1  
#bjbe ,mr4 ,mc,cormick 7for himself1    
,mr4 ,gallego1 ,mr4 ,ricketts1 ,mrs4    
,shaheen1 ,mr4 ,schmitt1 ,ms4 ,slotkin1 
and ,mrs4 ,moody7 introduced the        
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on the      
,judiciary  ,a ,,bill  ,to amend the    
,controlled ,substances ,act to         
permanently schedule the class of       
#b-;benzylbenzimidazole-opioids known as
 nitazenes1 and for other purposes4  #a4
  ,short title  ,this ,act may be cited 
as the ,nitazene ,control ,act4  #b4    
,findings  ,congress finds the          
following3 7#a7 #b-;,benzylbenzimidazole
 opioids are a class of synthetic       
opioids first synthesized in the #aiejs 
that exhibit significant potency at the 
mu-opioid receptor1 with some substances
 exceeding the potency of fentanyl4     
7#b7 ,the ,drug ,enforcement            
,administration has temporarily or      

permanently scheduled multiple          
#b-;benzylbenzimidazole opioids         
compounds under schedule ,i of section  
#bjb7;c7 of the ,controlled ,substances 
,act 7#ba ,u4,s4,c4 #hab7;c77 due to    
their high abuse potential and lack of  
accepted medical use4  7#c7 ,nitazenes  
and related compounds have emerged in   
the illicit drug supply as designer     
drugs and contribute to overdose and    
fatal poisonings in the ,united ,states4
  7#d7 ,a class-wide permanent          
scheduling of #b-;benzylbenzimidazole   
opioids is necessary to preemptively    
address the proliferation of new        
analogs1 streamline enforcement1 and    
protect public health4  7#e7 ,the ,,halt
 ,fentanyl ,act 7#bh ,u4,s4,c4 #hja     
note2 ,public ,law #aai-bf7 created     
pathways for research using schedule ,i 
controlled substances that apply to     
scheduled nitazenes4  #c4  ,schedule ,i 
classification of nitazenes  7a7        
,amendment  ,schedule ,i of section     
#bjb7;c7 of the ,controlled ,substances 

,act 7#ba ,u4,s4,c4 #hab7;c77 is amended
 by adding at the end the following3    
7f7  7#a7 ,unless specifically exempted 
or unless listed in another schedule1   
any material1 compound1 mixture1 or     
preparation which contains any quantity 
of a #b-;benzylbenzimidazole opioid1 or 
which contains the salts1 isomers1 and  
salts of isomers of a                   
#b-;benzylbenzimidazole opioid4  7#b7   
,for purposes of paragraph 7#a71 the    
term #b-;benzylbenzimidazole opioid     
includes the following3  7,a7 ,a        
substance that is structurally related  
to #b-;benzylbenzimidazole with the     
following modifications3  7i7 ,at the   
#a-position1 substitution with an alkyl 
linker connected to a substituted amine 
group containing hydrogen1 alkyl1       
alkenyl1 or heteroaryl group1 such as a 
morphilino1 pyrrolidino1 or piperidinyl 
groups1 whether or not further          
substituted4  7ii7 ,at the #b-position--
  7,i7 replacement of the alkyl portion 
of the benzyl group with a substituted  

or unsubstituted alkyl1 alkoxy1         
carbamates group1 nitrogen1 sulfur1 or  
oxygen atom2 or  7,,ii7 replacement of  
the phenyl portion of the benzyl group  
with an aryl or heteroaryl group4  7iii7
 ,substitution on the phenyl portion of 
the benzimidazole ring with a hydrogen  
atom1 halogen1 nitro1 cyano1 substituted
 or unsubstituted amide1 amine1 alkyl1  
alkoxy1 aryl1 or heteroaryl group4  7iv7
 ,at the #f-position1 substitution with 
hydrogen1 nitro1 trifluoromethyl1       
methoxy1 trifluoromethoxy1 cyano1 and   
halogen groups4  7,b7 ,a substance that 
exhibits agonist activity at the        
mu-opioid receptor4  7,c7 ,etonitazene1 
clonitazene1 metonitazene1              
isotonitazene1 protonitazene1           
butonitazene1 etodesnitazene1           
flunitazene1 ,n-pyrrolidino etonitazene1
 ,n-desethyl isotonitazene1 and         
,n-piperidinyl etonitazene4  4  7b7     
,removal of temporary status  ,any      
substance included in the amendment made
 by subsection 7a7 that was temporarily 

scheduled under section #bja7;h7 of the 
,controlled ,substances ,act 7#ba       
,u4,s4,c4 #haa7;h77 shall be deemed     
permanently scheduled and subject to the
 requirements of schedule ,i of section 
#bjb7;c7 of that ,act 7#ba ,u4,s4,c4    
#hab7;c77 as of the date of enactment of
 this ,act4  7c7  ,rule of construction 
,nothing in this subsection shall be    
construed to authorize the initiation of
 new research using                     
#b-;benzylbenzimidazole opioids1 as     
defined in subsection 7f7 of schedule ,i
 of section #bjb7;c7 of the ,controlled 
,substances ,act 7#ba ,u4,s4,c4         
#hab7;c771 as added by subsection 7a7 of
 this section1 without proper           
registration and scheduling compliance4