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 StevensonWydler 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 
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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 
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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.