In the Senate of the United States, 

June 22, 2023. 

Resolved, That the bill from the House of Representatives (H.R. 1734) entitled ‘‘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.’’, do pass with the following 

AMENDMENT: 

Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the 

following: 

1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Testing, Rapid Analysis, 

3 and Narcotic Quality Research Act of 2023’’ or the 

4 ‘‘TRANQ Research Act of 2023’’. 

5 SEC. 2. XYLAZINE DETECTION AND ANALYSIS. 

6 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

7 (1) DIRECTOR.—The term ‘‘Director’’ means the 

8 Director of the National Institute of Standards and 

9 Technology. 
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1 (2) FEDERAL LABORATORY.—The term ‘‘Federal 

2 laboratory’’ has the meaning given such term in sec3 tion 4 of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation 

4 Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3703). 

5 (3) INSTITUTE.—The term ‘‘Institute’’ means the 

6 National Institute of Standards and Technology. 

7 (4) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—The 

8 term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ has the mean9 ing given such term in section 101 of the Higher Edu10 cation Act of 1965 (19 U.S.C. 1001). 

11 (5) NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION.—The term ‘‘non12 profit organization’’ means an organization described 

13 in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 

14 1986 and exempt from tax under section 501(a) of 

15 such code. 

16 (6) XYLAZINE.—The term ‘‘xylazine’’ means the 

17 nonopioid tranquilizer methyl benzene compound fre18 quently used in veterinary medicine as an emetic and 

19 sedative with analgesic and muscle relaxant prop20 erties. 

21 (b) IN GENERAL.—The Director shall— 

22 (1) support intramural basic measurement 

23 science and research of the Institute to advance— 

24 (A) analytical methods to identify, under25 stand, differentiate, and categorize substances 
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1 containing xylazine, novel synthetic opioids, or 

2 other new psychoactive substances; 

3 (B) measurement technologies to shorten 

4 analysis timelines and enhance narcotic and 

5 opioid detection and analysis capabilities; 

6 (C) new data tools, techniques, and proc7 esses to identify and publicly disclose relevant 

8 information concerning substances containing 

9 xylazine, novel synthetic opioids, or other new 

10 psychoactive substances; and 

11 (D) such other areas as the Director deter12 mines to be critical to the development and de13 ployment of technologies to measure and analyze 

14 the presence of xylazine, novel synthetic opioids, 

15 and other new psychoactive substances; 

16 (2) support activities to inform and expand the 

17 development of near-real time spectrometry capabili18 ties regarding xylazine, novel synthetic opioids, and 

19 other new psychoactive substances; 

20 (3) convene and consult with organizations en21 gaged in the analysis of new psychoactive substances 

22 to develop coordinated strategies and voluntary best 

23 practices for the safe handling, transport, data-shar24 ing, and analysis of substances containing xylazine, 
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1 novel synthetic opioids, or other new psychoactive 

2 substances, including— 

3 (A) the Drug Enforcement Administration; 

4 (B) the Centers for Disease Control and 

5 Prevention; 

6 (C) the National Institute on Drug Abuse; 

7 (D) Federal laboratories; 

8 (E) States and territories; 

9 (F) State fusion centers; 

10 (G) the private sector; 

11 (H) intergovernmental organizations; 

12 (I) institutions of higher education, and 

13 (J) nonprofit organizations; 

14 (4) establish or expand collaborative partner15 ships or consortia with other government agencies and 

16 persons engaged in related research and development, 

17 such as institutions of higher education, Federal lab18 oratories, public health agencies, intergovernmental 

19 organizations, and the private sector, to enhance nar20 cotic and opioid detection and analysis capabilities 

21 regarding xylazine, novel synthetic opioids, and other 

22 new psychoactive substances; and 

23 (5) encourage graduate and post-graduate re24 search to include detection and identification of 
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1 xylazine and other new psychoactive substances in 

2 relevant course studies when practicable. 

3 (c) CONTROLS.—In carrying out activities under this 

4 section, the Director shall ensure proper security controls 

5 are implemented to protect sensitive information, as the Di6 rector considers appropriate and consistent with applicable 

7 provisions of law. 

8 (d) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the date of 

9 the enactment of this Act, the Director shall submit to the 

10 Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of 

11 the Senate and the Committee on Science, Space, and Tech12 nology of the House of Representatives a report on the im13 plementation of this section. Such report may include rec14 ommendations for legislative action to improve the ability 

15 of the Director to carry out this section. 

16 SEC. 3. STUDY ON UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT TECH17 NOLOGIES AND ANALYTICAL METHODS TO 

18 DETECT AND IDENTIFY NEW PSYCHOACTIVE 

19 SUBSTANCES. 

20 (a) STUDY.— 

21 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Comptroller General of 

22 the United States shall conduct a study of the capa23 bilities of the Federal Government to respond to the 

24 threats of new psychoactive substances such as 

25 xylazine. 
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1 (2) MATTERS EVALUATED.—The study conducted 

2 pursuant to paragraph (1) shall include an evalua3 tion of the following: 

4 (A) The capabilities, including technologies 

5 and analytical methods, of Federal, State, and 

6 local agencies to detect and identify new 

7 psychoactive substances such as xylazine. 

8 (B) An analysis of timeframes for identi9 fication and development of technologies and 

10 methods to identify new psychoactive substances 

11 by Federal, State, and local agencies. 

12 (C) Facilities, including laboratories, used 

13 by Federal, State, and local agencies for the 

14 identification of new psychoactive substances 

15 such as xylazine. 

16 (D) Federal grant programs to fund new 

17 technology development to detect and identify 

18 new psychoactive substances. 

19 (b) REPORT.—Not later than 2 years after the date 

20 of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall 

21 submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Trans22 portation of the Senate and the Committee on Science, 

23 Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives a 

24 report containing the findings of the Comptroller General 
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1 with respect to the study conducted pursuant to subsection 

2 (a). 

Attest: 

Secretary. 
118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H.R. 1734 

AMENDMENT