Tyler’s Law

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 921 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 921

To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to issue guidance 
  on whether hospital emergency departments should implement fentanyl 
 testing as a routine procedure for patients experiencing an overdose, 
                        and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 10, 2025

Mr. Banks (for himself, Mr. Padilla, Mr. Grassley, Mr. Warner, and Mr. 
Young) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 
       to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to issue guidance 
  on whether hospital emergency departments should implement fentanyl 
 testing as a routine procedure for patients experiencing an overdose, 
                        and for other purposes.

    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 ``Tyler's Law''.

SEC. 2. TESTING FOR FENTANYL IN HOSPITAL EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS.

    (a) Study.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall complete a 
study to determine--
            (1) how frequently hospital emergency departments test for 
        fentanyl (in addition to testing for other substances such as 
        amphetamines, phencyclidine, cocaine, opiates, and marijuana) 
        when a patient is experiencing an overdose;
            (2) the costs associated with such testing for fentanyl;
            (3) the potential benefits and risks for patients receiving 
        such testing for fentanyl; and
            (4) how fentanyl testing in hospital emergency departments 
        may impact the experience of the patient, including--
                    (A) protections for the confidentiality and privacy 
                of the patient's personal health information; and
                    (B) the patient-physician relationship.
    (b) Guidance.--Not later than 6 months after completion of the 
study under subsection (a), based on the results of such study, the 
Secretary of Health and Human Services shall issue guidance on the 
following:
            (1) Whether hospital emergency departments should implement 
        fentanyl testing as a routine procedure for patients 
        experiencing an overdose.
            (2) How hospitals can ensure that clinicians in their 
        hospital emergency departments are aware of which substances 
        are being tested for in their routinely-administered drug 
        tests, regardless of whether those tests screen for fentanyl.
            (3) How the administration of fentanyl testing in hospital 
        emergency departments may affect the future risk of overdose 
        and general health outcomes.
    (c) Definition.--In this section, the term ``hospital emergency 
department'' means a hospital emergency department as such term is used 
in section 1867(a) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395dd(a)).
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