ALERT Communities Act

Key Points

• The bill would train first responders to carry and distribute fentanyl and xylazine test strips, expanding the tools available to people on the front lines of the overdose crisis.
• Federal health agencies would be required to develop public research and marketing frameworks to help manufacturers create better, faster test strip technology, including strips that can be used in clinical settings for on-site decision-making.
• The Department of Health and Human Services would have two years to study whether wider access to drug-checking supplies like test strips actually reduces overdose deaths and helps people get into treatment.
• Test strips are defined broadly as rapid, single-use tools that can detect deadly substances like fentanyl, xylazine, or other synthetic opioids in drugs or human samples, covering both current and emerging threats.