[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 199 (Monday, December 4, 2023)]
[House]
[Pages H6087-H6089]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1530
   TESTING, RAPID ANALYSIS, AND NARCOTIC QUALITY RESEARCH ACT OF 2023

  Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and concur in the 
Senate amendment to the bill (H.R. 1734) 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.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the Senate amendment is as follows:
  Senate amendment:

       Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the 
     following:

     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,

[[Page H6088]]

     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).

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Ellzey). Pursuant to the rule, the 
gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Lucas) and the gentlewoman from California 
(Ms. Lofgren) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Oklahoma.


                             General Leave

  Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to 
include extraneous material on H.R. 1734, the bill now under 
consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Oklahoma?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1734, the TRANQ Research Act 
sponsored by the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Collins).
  This is an important bill that will help us combat the dangers of 
novel synthetic opioids. Unfortunately, there is no area of our country 
that hasn't been touched by the deadly fentanyl epidemic. Now these 
drugs are being mixed with animal tranquilizers to create deadly new 
combinations.
  Drugs like tranq are presenting new challenges to law enforcement, 
healthcare professionals, and first responders. H.R. 1734 authorizes 
critical research and development to help us better understand, detect, 
and handle these drugs. With that knowledge, we can help to slow their 
spread and reduce lives lost to these deadly drugs.
  This bill takes advantage of the tremendous expertise of the National 
Institute of Standards and Technology, which is already doing cutting-
edge work on detecting and analyzing fentanyl. With the passage of the 
TRANQ Research Act, NIST will be able to apply their expertise to these 
dangerous new variants.
  This bill authorizes NIST's work to quickly identify illicit drugs, 
analyze them, and establish best practices for first responders to 
handle these dangerous substances. By doing that, it provides critical 
protections for the police officers and EMTs that encounter these 
drugs, helping them to stay safe and protected as they do their work. 
It will also give us the knowledge we need to stop the spread of tranq 
and other novel synthetic opioids.
  This bill has already passed the House with a unanimous bipartisan 
vote of 425-0. I would like to see that same level of backing today.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I rise today in support of this bill that I proudly cosponsored. I 
also thank my colleagues, Representatives Caraveo and Collins, for 
leading this legislation, as well as Chairman Lucas for his support. I 
also thank Senators Peter Welch and Ted Cruz over in the other body for 
their work.
  Synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl, have taken a terrible toll on 
communities across this country, including in my own district. Fentanyl 
is now involved in more deaths of Americans under 50 than any other 
cause of death.
  This epidemic is a horrifying ordeal, and now our communities must 
deal with various chemicals being added to these drugs to enhance their 
effects and also make them harder to detect. One chemical that 
criminals have started to use is a common animal tranquilizer called 
xylazine. When added to fentanyl, this animal tranquilizer can have 
terrible side effects, including horrible wounds at the injection site.
  These additives are also consequential to our first responders and 
law enforcement as they deal with these drugs on the street. Drug 
mixtures usually contain a very small amount of synthetic opioids, 
which makes it very difficult to detect and hard to identify new 
variants. Even small amounts of some substances can be dangerous for 
law enforcement and public health officials to handle.
  H.R. 1734 would address these challenges by leveraging the National 
Institute of Standards and Technology's unique research capabilities to 
help develop technologies to quickly characterize and safely handle 
street drugs. For decades, the Nation's measurement laboratory has 
helped to develop safe and effective drug detection techniques and 
handling practices. NIST also collects and analyzes drug samples in 
circulation, and this helps health authorities and law enforcement to 
better respond to this crisis. This bill would codify and enhance those 
ongoing efforts. It also adds reporting requirements for NIST and the 
GAO so that Congress can better understand our Federal capabilities in 
responding to this crisis.
  This is a good example of how we can activate the unique expertise in 
our government labs to benefit communities across this country. It is 
also a good example of the bipartisan work that we do in the Science 
Committee. I thank my colleagues again, and I reserve the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from 
Georgia (Mr. Collins) to speak on his bill.
  Mr. COLLINS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding and for 
his leadership on the Science Committee. It is great serving with him 
on the committee of the future.
  I rise in support of the TRANQ Research Act, which I introduced in 
March. It passed the Science Committee and the House unanimously. It 
then passed the Senate unanimously after it had been amended to include 
some technical changes and a reporting requirement on America's ability 
to address the growing threat of new psychoactive drugs. I support 
these changes, and I ask all Members to join me in sending this 
commonsense bill to the President for his signature.
  As you will recall, the TRANQ Research Act directs the National 
Institute of Standards and Technology to study dangerous fentanyl 
additives like xylazine that are putting the public and law enforcement 
at risk.
  Xylazine, which is also known as the zombie drug, is a dangerous 
substance containing a veterinary tranquilizer which makes fentanyl 
even more dangerous than it already is. The zombie drug has been 
popping up in nearly every State, and the DEA is reporting a 
substantial increase in the amount of fentanyl seized that contains 
this deadly additive.

  Exposure--and that is right, just exposure--to these drugs, whether 
you are taking them or not, can be deadly, and that means that law 
enforcement officers who are finding these drugs are in danger. This 
research is going to help them identify ways to detect fentanyl and its 
additives in the field and therefore take appropriate measures to 
protect themselves while keeping our communities safe.
  Mr. Speaker, this bill is one piece of a much larger fight against 
fentanyl and the other drugs plaguing our communities and ending so 
many lives prematurely. By understanding what these additives are, how 
to test for them, and how to safely handle them, we can better protect 
our first responders and our Border Patrol agents.
  I thank everyone who has made this moment possible: Representative

[[Page H6089]]

Caraveo, Chairman Lucas, Ranking Member Lofgren, members of the Science 
Committee. I thank them for helping get this bill across the finish 
line.
  Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, as Mr. Collins has just remarked, he and 
Dr. Caraveo took the lead on this legislation. We are grateful and 
fortunate, indeed, that Dr. Caraveo is here in our body, dedicated to 
our constituents, but also bringing the expertise that a medical doctor 
can have to an item like this.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman 
from Colorado (Ms. Caraveo).
  Ms. CARAVEO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1734, the 
TRANQ Research Act. I also thank my colleagues, Congressman  Mike 
Collins, Chairman Frank Lucas, and Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren for 
working with me to run this bipartisan legislation. I also thank 
Senators Peter Welch and Ted Cruz for moving this bill through the 
Senate.
  As a doctor, I have seen firsthand the horrific impact the drug 
crisis has had on families in my community and across the country. Last 
year alone, more than 107,000 Americans lost their lives to drug 
overdoses, due in large part to the crisis.
  Fentanyl is a drug with very high potency that is relatively easy to 
manufacture, and criminals making fentanyl can add different chemicals 
to change its molecular structure, creating a variant that is novel and 
difficult to detect.
  Just in the past year, we have seen a dramatic increase in criminals 
mixing a common animal tranquilizer called xylazine with fentanyl. If 
injected, this combination can have horrible side effects, including 
large wounds at the injection site that have led to limb amputations.
  Horrifyingly, tranq is already spreading across the country. Having 
seen the disastrous effect fentanyl has had on Colorado, I am proud to 
lead the charge to act against xylazine now to protect our families.
  One of the major challenges we face to combat drugs like fentanyl and 
xylazine is detecting them. These drug mixtures usually contain a very 
small amount of the drug, and traditional laboratory methods are not 
designed to detect or identify new drug variants.
  The TRANQ Research Act addresses this challenge by leveraging our 
Nation's scientific capabilities to allow our first responders to be 
able to detect, identify, and better understand novel opioids and other 
substances. Additionally, thanks to our partners in the Senate, the 
bill will also help Congress conduct oversight over Federal programs to 
respond to threats from new psychoactive substances like xylazine.
  We know combating the drug crisis will take bipartisan action. I look 
forward to continuing to work with Congressman Collins and my 
colleagues to get this bill signed by the President and to keep pushing 
for commonsense solutions that both parties can agree on to keep 
American families safe. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
  Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the 
balance of my time.
  Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield 
back the balance of my time.
  Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I note that when this bill is signed by the President, 
it will be the first bill introduced by a freshman in the 118th 
Congress to become law. I congratulate the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. 
Collins) for this achievement. I think it is a reflection of just how 
important this topic is, and I am so glad our colleagues have all 
recognized the growing dangers of novel synthetic opioids and have 
given this bill such strong support.
  Again, I thank Representative Collins and my colleagues for 
everything they have done to help support this. I urge all of my 
colleagues to support it.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Lucas) that the House suspend the rules 
and concur in the Senate amendment to the bill, H.R. 1734.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the Senate amendment was concurred in.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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