The coalition sent a letter to House and Senate leadership March 31 urging passage of bipartisan legislation that would classify xylazine as a federal controlled substance, giving law enforcement enhanced tools to track and combat the drug's spread. The bill would allow the Drug Enforcement Administration to monitor xylazine manufacturing, prevent diversion, and mandate public reporting on the substance's development and distribution.
Xylazine, known by its street name "tranq," is a veterinary tranquilizer for large animals that is not approved for human use but has increasingly been mixed with illicit opioids, particularly fentanyl. The coalition argues that xylazine's status as a non-opioid makes it particularly dangerous because it does not respond to naloxone, the standard overdose reversal drug, greatly increasing lethality when combined with other substances.
The attorneys general contend that the current lack of information on xylazine's development, distribution, and related deaths hampers efforts to track and stop the drug's spread. Under the proposed legislation, enhanced tracking and reporting requirements would better equip law enforcement to combat what the coalition describes as a "rising threat" to communities nationwide.
The legislative push comes as xylazine use has expanded rapidly across the United States, with the Senate Judiciary Committee advancing the Combating Illicit Xylazine Act with strong bipartisan support last week. The coalition's letter emphasizes the urgent need for federal action to address the evolving opioid crisis and prevent additional overdose deaths.
"We need every tool at our disposal so we can investigate and stop the spread of this dangerous drug to protect our communities," said Attorney General James. "This bipartisan legislation is a commonsense and necessary step to help law enforcement get xylazine off our streets."
James has secured over $3 billion in opioid settlement funds for New York from pharmaceutical companies including Purdue, Johnson & Johnson, and Teva, and has led investigations targeting major drug trafficking networks across the state. The coalition includes attorneys general from 40 states plus American Samoa, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.