[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 145 (Tuesday, September 15, 2026)]
[House]
[Pages H5673-H5674]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
TYLER'S LAW
Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 2004) to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services
to issue guidance on whether hospital emergency departments should
implement fentanyl testing as a routine procedure for patients
experiencing an overdose, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 2004
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 ``Tyler's Law''.
SEC. 2. TESTING FOR FENTANYL IN HOSPITAL EMERGENCY
DEPARTMENTS.
(a) Study.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human
Services shall complete a study to determine--
(1) how frequently hospital emergency departments test for
fentanyl (in addition to testing for other substances such as
amphetamines, phencyclidine, cocaine, opiates, and marijuana)
when a patient is experiencing an overdose;
(2) the costs associated with such testing for fentanyl;
(3) the potential benefits and risks for patients receiving
such testing for fentanyl; and
(4) how fentanyl testing in hospital emergency departments
may impact the experience of the patient, including--
(A) protections for the confidentiality and privacy of the
patient's personal health information; and
(B) the patient-physician relationship.
(b) Guidance.--Not later than 6 months after completion of
the study under subsection (a), based on the results of such
study, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall issue
guidance on the following:
(1) Whether hospital emergency departments should implement
fentanyl testing as a routine procedure for patients
experiencing an overdose.
(2) How hospitals can ensure that clinicians in their
hospital emergency departments are aware of which substances
are being tested for in their routinely-administered drug
tests, regardless of whether those tests screen for fentanyl.
(3) How the administration of fentanyl testing in hospital
emergency departments may affect the future risk of overdose
and general health outcomes.
(c) Definition.--In this section, the term ``hospital
emergency department'' means a hospital emergency department
as such term is used in section 1867(a) of the Social
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395dd(a)).
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Kentucky (Mr. Guthrie) and the gentlewoman from Texas (Mrs. Fletcher)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Kentucky.
General Leave
Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and
include extraneous material on H.R. 2004.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Kentucky?
There was no objection.
Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2004, led by the
gentleman from California (Mr. Lieu) and the gentleman from Ohio (Mr.
Latta).
Tyler's Law is named after Tyler Shamash, who suffered from a fatal
fentanyl poisoning after doctors did not test for fentanyl when he was
admitted to the hospital emergency room. This bill would honor Tyler's
memory by helping prevent more tragedies and ensuring providers are
able to provide the best practices when treating cases of potential
drug overdoses.
I encourage my colleagues to vote for this bill. I can't stop, Mr.
Speaker, without bringing up his mother, Juli, who has spent tireless
hours flying from California to D.C.--sometimes, because of our
schedule change, on a moment's notice--to be present for hearings and
bringing this story, knowing that it is not going to bring her son back
but wanting to prevent other mothers and other people from going
through what she has gone through. I appreciate her hard work, and I
acknowledge that.
I encourage my colleagues to support this bill to honor his legacy
and the
[[Page H5674]]
many families who have suffered similarly. I reserve the balance of my
time.
Mrs. FLETCHER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak in support of H.R. 2004, Tyler's Law.
This legislation directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to
study the use of fentanyl testing in hospital emergency departments for
patients experiencing an overdose.
As we heard so eloquently from Chairman Guthrie, I, too, thank
Tyler's mom for her tireless advocacy and to thank Representative Lieu
for his leadership on this legislation and my colleagues on the Energy
and Commerce Committee for working to bring the bill to the floor
today.
I encourage all my colleagues to vote ``yes,'' and I reserve the
balance of my time.
Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. FLETCHER. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to
the gentleman from California (Mr. Lieu).
Mr. LIEU. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2004, Tyler's Law.
This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to
conduct a study and then to issue guidance to hospitals to test for
fentanyl in emergency room screenings.
This may come as a surprise to many. Right now many hospitals do not
test for fentanyl in emergency room screenings. This leads to cases
where people who walk in the emergency room may not know that they
ingested a drug laced with fentanyl, or they may walk out of the
emergency room not knowing that they had taken fentanyl and not gotten
the right resources. As a result, this could result in preventable
deaths.
Tyler, the bill's namesake, is one such case of this testing blind
spot. At 19 years old, Tyler's life was cut short when he died from a
fentanyl overdose after initially going to the emergency room. He was
not tested for fentanyl, and he was discharged. His toxicology
screening came back with no indication of fentanyl, and he went home.
The next day he returned to the ER and ultimately died from having
ingested fentanyl.
Tyler's mom, Juli, came to my office sharing Tyler's tragic story and
has been a fierce advocate of ensuring that no family experiences the
same kind of devastating loss.
{time} 1930
Since then, I have been working closely with Congressman Bob Latta,
Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove, and our Senate counterparts on
getting Tyler's Law passed. However, the real credit goes to Juli. She
is here in the gallery today with other parents who also lost their
child to fentanyl. She has been present for every step of the progress
we have taken this Congress. I thank Juli for her fierce advocacy and
for fighting to advance laws that will prevent future fentanyl-related
deaths.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill so we can
honor Tyler and prevent fentanyl deaths in the future.
Mrs. FLETCHER. In closing, Mr. Speaker, for the reasons we have just
heard, I encourage my colleagues to vote in favor of Tyler's Law, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate all of the moms who have been
working with us. We really appreciate their hard work. Our sympathies
are with them, and we are glad that their children are being honored
tonight.
This is final passage, and we have been working on this for quite a
while.
Mr. Speaker, I encourage a ``yes'' vote on the bill, I look forward
to voting for it in just a couple of seconds, and I yield back the
balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Guthrie) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 2004.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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