April 2, 2026
Mr. Taylor introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce
To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to issue guidelines for the purpose of addressing the problem of nitazene overdoses, and for other purposes.
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Nitazene Response Act
.
Sec. 2. Assistance in responding to nitazene overdoses
(a) Guidelines
(1) In general
The Secretary of Health and Human Services (in this section referred to as the Secretary
) shall issue updated, evidence-based clinical guidelines (in this section referred to as the guidelines
) for responding to nitazene overdoses.
(2) Contents
The guidelines shall contain—
(A)
a description of best practices for responding to potential nitazene overdoses, including protocols for administering naloxone;
(B)
guidance for emergency departments and hospitals in responding to nitazene overdoses;
(C)
guidance for rural and volunteer emergency medical services systems in responding to nitazene overdoses; and
(D)
such other information as the Secretary determines appropriate.
(3) Publication
Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall publish the guidelines on the public internet website of the Department of Health and Human Services.
(b) Report to Congress
Not later than one year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report containing the guidelines and a description of how the guidelines will assist in addressing the problem of nitazene overdoses.
(c) Definitions
In this section:
(1) Nitazene
(A) In general
The term nitazene means benzimidazole-opioids, including any substance (including its salts, isomers, and salts of isomers) that has a chemical structure that is substantially similar to that of etonitazene or isotonitazene, including—
(i)
a benzimidazole core substituted at the 2-position with a benzyl or substituted benzyl group;
(ii)
a basic nitrogen-containing side chain at the 1-position; and
(iii)
exhibits agonist activity at the mu-opioid receptor.
(B) Included substances
The term nitazene includes, at a minimum, the following: etonitazene, clonitazene, metonitazene, isotonitazene, protonitazene, butonitazene, etodesnitazene, flunitazene, N-pyrrolidino etonitazene, N-desethyl isotonitazene, and N-piperidinyl etonitazene.
(2) Nitazene overdose
The term nitazene overdose means an overdose involving nitazene or any other ultra-potent synthetic opioid.