Cortez Masto’s Combating Illicit Xylazine Act Passes House Unanimously

Washington, D.C. – Last night, Senator Catherine Cortez Masto’s (D-Nev.) Combating Illicit Xylazine Act passed the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously. Introduced in the Senate alongside Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), this legislation would list xylazine as a Schedule III controlled substance while protecting the drug’s legal use by veterinarians, farmers, and ranchers. “Thousands of Americans have died from overdoses of fentanyl laced with xylazine, but law enforcement still doesn’t have the tools it needs to properly combat this crisis. Now is the time for us to address this emergency while ensuring xylazine can still be used for veterinary medicine,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “I applaud the House of Representatives for passing this life-saving bill, and I urge my Senate colleagues to get this legislation to the President’s desk.” Xylazine, also known as “tranq,” is an easily accessible veterinary tranquilizer that is being used as a low-cost cutting agent for fentanyl . Cortez Masto’s bipartisan legislation would schedule this dangerous drug and give law enforcement the tools they need to go after traffickers while protecting access for veterinarians, farmers, and ranchers who use xylazine to treat large animals. The bill is endorsed by 41 state attorneys general , major law enforcement organizations , and veterinary organizations . Read the full bill here . The Combating Illicit Xylazine Act was introduced in the House by Representatives Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.-19), August Pfluger (R-Texas-11), Chris Pappas (D-N.H.-01), Gus Bilirakis (R-Fl.-12), Scott Fitzgerald (R-Wis.-05), and Deborah Ross (D-N.C.-02). Senator Cortez Masto has been working to crack down on illicit drugs since she was first elected Attorney General , when she worked with Nevada’s Republican governor, law enforcement , and Mexican officials to combat the rise of methamphetamine manufacturing and cross-border drug trafficking. In the Senate, she has authored legislation to combat drug trafficking online that was signed into law, and she passed critical legislation to eliminate illegal fentanyl supply chains. She cosponsored the HALT Fentanyl Act , which became law last year and will combat illegal fentanyl to keep our communities safe. ###