The ALERT Communities Act (H.R. 1561) would advance harm-reduction efforts around fentanyl and xylazine by requiring training for first responders and other community sectors on using fentanyl/xylazine test strips, establishing research and marketing frameworks for test-strip technology, and conducting a federal study on how availability and use of drug-checking supplies affect overdoses and treatment engagement. The bill envisions making test strips more accessible and better supported by public health guidance, with new standards for manufacturers and clearer pathways for regulatory authorization. It also defines what a “test strip” is and ties these activities to on-site clinical decision-making and broader community safety goals. In short, the measure aims to boost training, improve measurement and standards for test strips, and generate evidence on whether drug-checking tools reduce overdoses and improve treatment uptake, while coordinating across federal health, research, and regulatory agencies.
Key Points
- 1First responder and community-sector training: Requires training and resources for first responders and other relevant community actors on carrying and facilitating access to fentanyl or xylazine test strips.
- 2Research and marketing frameworks for test strips: The Secretary of Health and Human Services, with NIH and other agencies, must develop publicly available frameworks with standards for manufacturers, guidance for using test strips in clinical decision-making, and guidance on authorization pathways for such test strips.
- 3Study on test-strip interventions: The Secretary must study how the availability and use of drug-checking supplies (including test strips) affect overdose frequency, overdose deaths, and engagement in substance use disorder treatment, and report back to Congress within two years.
- 4Definition of test strip: Establishes “test strip” as a rapid, single-use diagnostic tool to detect adulteration or presence of substances (e.g., fentanyl, xylazine, other synthetic opioids) in a drug or human specimen.
- 5Overall framework and funding note: The title indicates authorization of grant funds to support access to these test strips, aligning with broader goals of expanding harm-reduction tools in communities.