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September 15, 2026
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Download official House Record PDFReturn to issue contextMr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1266) to prohibit certain uses of xylazine, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 1266
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 “Combating Illicit Xylazine
Act”.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
(a) In General.—In this Act, the term “xylazine” has the
meaning given the term in paragraph (61) of section 102 of
the Controlled Substances Act, as added by subsection (b) of
this section.
(b) Controlled Substances Act.—Section 102 of the
Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 802) is amended by
adding at the end the following:
“(61) The term `xylazine' means the substance xylazine,
including its salts, isomers, and salts of isomers whenever
the existence of such salts, isomers, and salts of isomers is
possible.”.
SEC. 3. ADDING XYLAZINE TO SCHEDULE III.
Schedule III of section 202(c) of the Controlled Substances
Act (21 U.S.C. 812) is amended by adding at the end the
following:
“(f) Unless specifically excepted or unless listed in
another schedule, any material, compound, mixture, or
preparation which contains any quantity of xylazine.”.
SEC. 4. AMENDMENTS.
(a) Amendment.—Section 102 of the Controlled Substances
Act (21 U.S.C. 802) is amended by striking paragraph (27) and
inserting the following:
“(27)(A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B), the term
`ultimate user' means a person who has lawfully obtained, and
who possesses, a controlled substance for the use by the
person or for the use of a member of the household of the
person or for an animal owned by the person or by a member of
the household of the person.
“(B)(i) In the case of xylazine, other than for a drug
product approved under subsection (b) or (j) of section 505
of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 355),
the term `ultimate user' means a person—
“(I) to whom xylazine was dispensed by—
“(aa) a veterinarian registered under this Act; or
“(bb) a pharmacy registered under this Act pursuant to a
prescription of a veterinarian registered under this Act; and
“(II) who possesses xylazine for—
“(aa) an animal owned by the person or by a member of the
household of the person;
“(bb) an animal under the care of the person;
“(cc) use in government animal-control programs authorized
under applicable Federal, State, Tribal, or local law; or
“(dd) use in wildlife programs authorized under applicable
Federal, State, Tribal, or local law.
“(ii) In this subparagraph, the term `person' includes—
“(I) a government agency or business where animals are
located; and
“(II) an employee or agent of an agency or business acting
within the scope of their employment or agency.”.
(b) Facilities.—An entity that manufactures xylazine, as
of the date of enactment of this Act, shall not be required
to make capital expenditures necessary to install the
security standard required of schedule III of the Controlled
Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 801 et seq.) for the purposes of
manufacturing xylazine.
(c) Labeling.—The requirements related to labeling,
packaging, and distribution logistics of a controlled
substance in schedule III of section 202(c) of the Controlled
Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 812(c)) shall not take effect for
xylazine until the date that is 1 year after the date of
enactment of this Act.
(d) Practitioner Registration.—The requirements related to
practitioner registration, inventory, and recordkeeping of a
controlled substance in schedule III of section 202(c) of the
Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 812(c)) shall not take
effect for xylazine until the date that is 60 days after the
date of enactment of this Act. A practitioner that has
applied for registration during the 60-day period beginning
on the date of enactment of this Act may continue their
lawful activities until such application is approved or
denied.
(e) Manufacturer Transition.—The Food and Drug
Administration and the Drug Enforcement Administration shall
facilitate and expedite the relevant manufacturer submissions
or applications required by the placement of xylazine on
schedule III of section 202(c) of the Controlled Substances
Act (21 U.S.C. 812(c)).
(f) Clarification.—Nothing in this Act, or the amendments
made by this Act, shall be construed to require the
registration of an ultimate user of xylazine under the
Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 801 et seq.) in order to
possess xylazine in accordance with subparagraph (B) of
section 102(27) of that Act (21 U.S.C. 802(27)), as added by
subsection (a) of this section.
SEC. 5. ARCOS TRACKING.
Section 307(i) of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C.
827(i)) is amended—
(1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1)—
(A) by inserting “or xylazine” after “gamma
hydroxybutyric acid”;
(B) by inserting “or 512” after “section 505”; and
(C) by inserting “respectively,” after “the Federal
Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act,”; and
(2) in paragraph (6), by inserting “or xylazine” after
“gamma hydroxybutyric acid”.
SEC. 6. SENTENCING COMMISSION.
Pursuant to its authority under section 994(p) of title 28,
United States Code, the United States Sentencing Commission
shall review and, if appropriate, amend its sentencing
guidelines, policy statements, and official commentary
applicable to persons convicted of an offense under section
401 of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 841) or
section 1010 of the Controlled Substances Import and Export
Act (21 U.S.C. 960) to provide appropriate penalties for
offenses involving xylazine that are consistent with the
amendments made by this Act. In carrying out this section,
the Commission should consider the common forms of xylazine
as well as its use alongside other scheduled substances.
SEC. 7. REPORT TO CONGRESS ON XYLAZINE.
(a) Initial Report.—Not later than 18 months after the
date of the enactment of this Act, the Attorney General,
acting through the Administrator of the Drug Enforcement
Administration and in coordination with the Commissioner of
Food and Drugs, shall submit to Congress a report on the
prevalence of illicit use of xylazine in the United States
and the impacts of such use, including—
(1) where the drug is being diverted;
(2) where the drug is originating; and
(3) whether any analogues to xylazine, or related or
derivative substances, exist and present a substantial risk
of abuse.
(b) Additional Report.—Not later than 4 years after the
date of the enactment of this Act, the Attorney General,
acting through the Administrator of the Drug Enforcement
Administration and in coordination with the Commissioner of
Food and Drugs, shall submit to Congress a report updating
Congress on the prevalence and proliferation of xylazine
trafficking and misuse in the United States.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Guthrie) and the gentlewoman from Texas (Mrs. Fletcher) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Kentucky.
General Leave
Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on the legislation and to include extraneous material on H.R. 1266.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Kentucky?
There was no objection.
Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1266, the Combating Illicit Xylazine Act, led by my colleagues Representatives Panetta and Pfluger.
Xylazine is a veterinary drug used to sedate large animals. It has no legitimate use in humans, and it is quickly becoming one of the deadliest drugs on our streets.
Substances Act while ensuring an exemption for appropriate use within the veterinary and ranching industries.
extensive bipartisan work spanning two Congresses and two administrations, supported by both DEA and HHS.
ability to crack down on illicit xylazine distribution while preserving its legitimate veterinary and ranching uses.
Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. FLETCHER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak in support of H.R. 1266. This legislation classifies xylazine as a schedule III controlled substance while including provisions to preserve access for veterinarians, livestock producers, and researchers.
illicit drug supply as a low-cost cutting agent intended to strengthen street drugs. Because of its use in veterinary medicine, drug traffickers realized that they could buy powdered xylazine, and it has become the most common drug mixed with fentanyl.
and there has been a dramatic increase in overdoses involving xylazine. Xylazine remains an important prescription sedative that facilitates the safe handling and treatment of many animal species. For example, it is important for use in cattle, as there is no practical alternative for sedation.
veterinary medicine and fights the spread of illicit xylazine among humans, but scheduling alone will not get us out of the overdose epidemic. We need investment in harm reduction, prevention, and treatment services to reduce overdose deaths across the Nation. We need a comprehensive, evidence-based public health approach to address this crisis.
Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to vote “yes” on this bill and to work with me on legislation that will expand access to prevention, treatment, and recovery.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. FLETCHER. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Panetta).
Mr. PANETTA. Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member for yielding me time, and I thank Chairman Guthrie and Ranking Member Pallone for their work on this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1266, my bipartisan legislation, the Combating Illicit Xylazine Act.
tool for law enforcement to go after the illegitimate use of xylazine by scheduling it under the Controlled Substances Act. It would also protect the legitimate use of this animal sedative for farmers, ranchers, veterinarians, and other professionals.
expert-driven work. This bill is not just about stopping the illegal use of xylazine on the streets. It is also about ensuring the legal use of xylazine on the farms.
Mr. Speaker, xylazine is a veterinary drug used to sedate large animals. It is irreplaceable as a tranquilizer for horses and cattle, but it absolutely has no legitimate use for humans.
be combined with illicit drugs, especially fentanyl. That combination has become known on the streets as tranq, a drug that has become so popular that even the Emmy Award-winning series “The Pitt” portrayed the horrible effects of xylazine mixed with fentanyl. It is a zombie drug, Mr. Speaker, that makes fentanyl cheaper, easier, longer lasting, and deadlier.
taking the drug, which turns out is also very dangerous to their health. The side effects of human ingestion include necrosis. That means, Mr. Speaker, deep wounds in which the skin and muscle simply rot away. It leads to ulcers and scabs.
Mr. Speaker, when you see a picture of this stuff, you can't unsee it. They become infected and, in some cases, have been found to be filled with fleas or maggots. It has ultimately led to amputation.
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more, making fentanyl more addictive. Tranq can also lead to a depressed heart rate, resulting in hours-long
who are overdosing were not responding to Narcan, or naloxone, which is the emergency treatment for an overdose of fentanyl. That means the users of tranq weren't able to come out of the overdose and were more likely to die from their drug use.
Xylazine was first detected in the early 2000s in Puerto Rico. Although it stayed mainly in that area for the next decade, xylazine recently started to circulate in limited areas within the Northeast, especially in Philadelphia. However, the drug has now been detected in nearly every State in the Nation, including my State of California.
the DEA. By the end of 2024, xylazine was in nearly 40 percent. Unfortunately, because xylazine is not regulated as a controlled substance, it is easily available to drug traffickers and can be bought for as little as $6 per kilogram on Chinese websites.
against overdose deaths, and it risks making drug users even more vulnerable.
rulemaking without cutting off its access for legitimate users in animal health. Appropriately, controlling xylazine for those legal end users requires an act of Congress, and that is why we are here tonight.
xylazine to schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act and, yes, punish those who traffic this drug. Also, this bill would authorize the DEA, the Drug Enforcement Administration, to track xylazine's legitimate dispensing and change the definition of an end user to those allowed to possess xylazine, including those who rely on this drug to care for animals and feed our country.
devastating effects of tranq. It will prevent further trafficking of illicit xylazine while preserving its access to those who need it. That is why the Combating Illicit Xylazine Act is not just a bipartisan bill. It is a consensus bill that is supported by Democratic and Republican Presidential administrations, by 41 bipartisan attorneys general across the country, by law enforcement groups, by DEA and HHS, by veterinary medicine, and by more than 100 Members in this Chamber.
I thank the leadership of August Pfluger and Gus Bilirakis. That is why this legislation passed unanimously out of the Energy and Commerce Committee.
Cortez Masto and Chairman Chuck Grassley. It is a popular bill in the Capitol because, unfortunately, the use of tranq has become popular on the street.
our job in Congress to prevent the illicit use of xylazine by drug dealers while ensuring its legitimate use for our farmers, ranchers, and veterinarians.
colleagues to support this effort and to pass my Combating Illicit Xylazine Act.
Mr. GUTHRIE. I have no further speakers on this bill. I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. FLETCHER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close.
I encourage my colleagues to vote “yes” on this bill and to work on additional legislation that will expand access to prevention, treatment, and recovery to combat this epidemic.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my friend from California's hard work on this bill and all the other colleagues he mentioned and the committee's work. I encourage a “yes” vote on this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Guthrie) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1266, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.