[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1734 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]
H.R.1734
One Hundred Eighteenth Congress
of the
United States of America
AT THE FIRST SESSION
Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday,
the third day of January, two thousand and twenty-three
An Act
To require coordinated National Institute of Standards and Technology
science and research activities regarding illicit drugs containing
xylazine, novel synthetic opioids, and other substances of concern, and
for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Testing, Rapid Analysis, and
Narcotic Quality Research Act of 2023'' or the ``TRANQ Research Act of
2023''.
SEC. 2. XYLAZINE DETECTION AND ANALYSIS.
(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of the
National Institute of Standards and Technology.
(2) Federal laboratory.--The term ``Federal laboratory'' has
the meaning given such term in section 4 of the Stevenson-Wydler
Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3703).
(3) Institute.--The term ``Institute'' means the National
Institute of Standards and Technology.
(4) Institution of higher education.--The term ``institution of
higher education'' has the meaning given such term in section 101
of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (19 U.S.C. 1001).
(5) Nonprofit organization.--The term ``nonprofit
organization'' means an organization described in section 501(c)(3)
of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from tax under
section 501(a) of such code.
(6) Xylazine.--The term ``xylazine'' means the nonopioid
tranquilizer methyl benzene compound frequently used in veterinary
medicine as an emetic and sedative with analgesic and muscle
relaxant properties.
(b) In General.--The Director shall--
(1) support intramural basic measurement science and research
of the Institute to advance--
(A) analytical methods to identify, understand,
differentiate, and categorize substances containing xylazine,
novel synthetic opioids, or other new psychoactive substances;
(B) measurement technologies to shorten analysis timelines
and enhance narcotic and opioid detection and analysis
capabilities;
(C) new data tools, techniques, and processes to identify
and publicly disclose relevant information concerning
substances containing xylazine, novel synthetic opioids, or
other new psychoactive substances; and
(D) such other areas as the Director determines to be
critical to the development and deployment of technologies to
measure and analyze the presence of xylazine, novel synthetic
opioids, and other new psychoactive substances;
(2) support activities to inform and expand the development of
near-real time spectrometry capabilities regarding xylazine, novel
synthetic opioids, and other new psychoactive substances;
(3) convene and consult with organizations engaged in the
analysis of new psychoactive substances to develop coordinated
strategies and voluntary best practices for the safe handling,
transport, data-sharing, and analysis of substances containing
xylazine, novel synthetic opioids, or other new psychoactive
substances, including--
(A) the Drug Enforcement Administration;
(B) the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention;
(C) the National Institute on Drug Abuse;
(D) Federal laboratories;
(E) States and territories;
(F) State fusion centers;
(G) the private sector;
(H) intergovernmental organizations;
(I) institutions of higher education, and
(J) nonprofit organizations;
(4) establish or expand collaborative partnerships or consortia
with other government agencies and persons engaged in related
research and development, such as institutions of higher education,
Federal laboratories, public health agencies, intergovernmental
organizations, and the private sector, to enhance narcotic and
opioid detection and analysis capabilities regarding xylazine,
novel synthetic opioids, and other new psychoactive substances; and
(5) encourage graduate and post-graduate research to include
detection and identification of xylazine and other new psychoactive
substances in relevant course studies when practicable.
(c) Controls.--In carrying out activities under this section, the
Director shall ensure proper security controls are implemented to
protect sensitive information, as the Director considers appropriate
and consistent with applicable provisions of law.
(d) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment
of this Act, the Director shall submit to the Committee on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Science,
Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives a report on the
implementation of this section. Such report may include recommendations
for legislative action to improve the ability of the Director to carry
out this section.
SEC. 3. STUDY ON UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT TECHNOLOGIES AND ANALYTICAL
METHODS TO DETECT AND IDENTIFY NEW PSYCHOACTIVE SUBSTANCES.
(a) Study.--
(1) In general.--The Comptroller General of the United States
shall conduct a study of the capabilities of the Federal Government
to respond to the threats of new psychoactive substances such as
xylazine.
(2) Matters evaluated.--The study conducted pursuant to
paragraph (1) shall include an evaluation of the following:
(A) The capabilities, including technologies and analytical
methods, of Federal, State, and local agencies to detect and
identify new psychoactive substances such as xylazine.
(B) An analysis of timeframes for identification and
development of technologies and methods to identify new
psychoactive substances by Federal, State, and local agencies.
(C) Facilities, including laboratories, used by Federal,
State, and local agencies for the identification of new
psychoactive substances such as xylazine.
(D) Federal grant programs to fund new technology
development to detect and identify new psychoactive substances.
(b) Report.--Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment
of this Act, the Comptroller General shall submit to the Committee on
Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee
on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives a
report containing the findings of the Comptroller General with respect
to the study conducted pursuant to subsection (a).
Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Vice President of the United States and
President of the Senate.