republic-os/legal/us/code/title-15/chapter-7/section-278u.md

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LegalText	15 U.S.C. § 278u	Xylazine detection and analysis	us	united_states_code	code_section	15	COMMERCE AND TRADE	7	NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY	278u	15 U.S.C. § 278u	current	119-100	2026-06-26	official	https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/100/xml_usc15@119-100.zip	/us/usc/t15/s278u	data/legal/raw/us/code/title-15/usc15.xml	7c6207fe07a6483542a11b7ef3dec47141c0028393eb602099d90d6b6e39d12d	6982338d990ef19d6b52bff6825089bdd6d0ee1233d9382673faf533decd5059	5576e4a3864faab890b42b3c24f5a2c47e84757effc2f86e9b93d382e1cf94b2	2026-07-04	official	legal us-code

15 U.S.C. § 278u - Xylazine detection and analysis

Text

(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 3703 of this title.

(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 1001 of title 20.

(5) Nonprofit organization The term “nonprofit organization” means an organization described in section 501(c)(3) of title 26 and exempt from tax under section 501(a) of such title.

(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,11 So in original. The comma probably should be a semicolon. 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 December 19, 2023, 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.

(Pub. L. 118–23, § 2, Dec. 19, 2023, 137 Stat. 125.)

Notes

Editorial Notes

Codification Section was enacted as part of the Testing, Rapid Analysis, and Narcotic Quality Research Act of 2023, also known as the TRANQ Research Act of 2023, and not as part of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Act which comprises this chapter.