ITHACA, NY (607NewsNow) — Legislation in Washington, DC would change how fentanyl is classified. 

Rep. Josh Riley says he voted for a bill on Friday that would place fentanyl and related substances as a Schedule I drug, the toughest under federal law.

“I’ve sat with parents in Upstate New York who’ve lost their kids to fentanyl overdoses. I’ve heard from corrections officers who’ve been poisoned by it. And I’ve promised every single one of them that I’d act,” Riley said. “This vote is about honoring those promises—and about using every tool we have to stop this poison from tearing through our communities.”

Riley, a Democrat, represents the 19th Congressional district. The bill now goes to President Trump’s desk.