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This bill would support the use of rapid drug test strips that can detect fentanyl, xylazine, and other dangerous substances. It directs federal health officials to study how these test strips affect overdose deaths, overdoses, and access to treatment, and it calls for clear guidance to help manufacturers develop and improve this technology. The bill also expands training for first responders and community workers so they can carry and help people access these test strips, with the goal of preventing overdoses and saving lives.
- Federal health officials would create public research and development guidance for test strip technology, including standards for companies that want to make or test new products.
- The guidance would also focus on test strips used with human samples in clinical settings and explain what approval or authorization paths are available.
- The Health and Human Services Department would study whether wider use of drug checking supplies, including test strips, changes overdose rates, overdose deaths, and treatment engagement.
- First responder training programs would be updated to include carrying and helping others access fentanyl or xylazine test strips.
Official Summaries
Advancing Lifesaving Efforts with Rapid Test strips for Communities Act or the ALERT Communities Act
This bill establishes programs and requirements to advance the development and usage of test strips that detect the presence of certain hazardous drugs (e.g., fentanyl, xylazine).
Currently, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration provides grants to government entities to train and provide authorized equipment to first responders and other relevant personnel for emergency treatment of opioid overdoses. The bill expands these grants to include rapid response test strips for detecting the presence of fentanyl, xylazine, and other synthetic opioids or emerging substances in people or within other drugs.
Additionally, the bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to publish guidance and standards for test strip manufacturers to support the development, evaluation, and authorization of test strips.
Also, HHS must conduct a study and report to Congress on how the availability and usage of test strips and similar equipment impacts the frequency of overdoses and participation in substance use disorder treatment.
Current Full Text
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1561 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1561
To require research with respect to fentanyl and xylazine test strips,
to authorize the use of grant funds for such test strips, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 25, 2025
Ms. Crockett (for herself and Mr. Gooden) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require research with respect to fentanyl and xylazine test strips,
to authorize the use of grant funds for such test strips, 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 ``Advancing Lifesaving Efforts with
Rapid Test strips for Communities Act'' or the ``ALERT Communities
Act''.
SEC. 2. FIRST RESPONDER TRAINING.
Section 546(c) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290ee-
1(c)) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (3), by striking ``; and'' and inserting a
semicolon;
(2) in paragraph (4), by striking the period and inserting
``; and''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(5) train and provide resources for first responders and
members of other relevant community sectors on carrying and
facilitating access to fentanyl or xylazine test strips (as
defined in section 5 of the Advancing Lifesaving Efforts with
Rapid Test strips for Communities Act).''.
SEC. 3. RESEARCH AND MARKETING FRAMEWORKS FOR TEST STRIP TECHNOLOGY.
The Secretary of Health and Human Services, in consultation with
the Director of the National Institutes of Health, the Director of the
Office of National Drug Control Policy, the Commissioner of Food and
Drugs, and the Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration,
shall develop and make publicly available research and marketing
frameworks for developing, improving, and evaluating test strip
technology for detecting fentanyl and other dangerous substances. Such
frameworks shall--
(1) include standards and guidance for manufacturers
seeking to develop and test new test strip technology;
(2) emphasize bringing new test strip technology intended
for testing human specimens in clinical settings to support on-
site clinical decision-making; and
(3) include guidance on available authorization pathways
for test strips described in paragraphs (1) and (2).
SEC. 4. STUDY ON FENTANYL TEST STRIP INTERVENTIONS.
The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall--
(1) conduct a study on the impact of the availability,
accessibility, and usage of drug checking supplies, including
test strips, on frequency of overdose, overdose deaths, and
engagement in substance use disorder treatment; and
(2) not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of
this Act, submit to Congress a report on the study conducted
under paragraph (1).
SEC. 5. DEFINITION.
In this Act, the term ``test strip'' means a rapid response, single
use diagnostic that can be used to detect the adulteration of a drug
with, or the presence in a human specimen of, any substance that may
lead to increased morbidity or mortality, such as fentanyl, xylazine,
or another synthetic opioid or emerging substance.
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