AG Jackson Backs Bipartisan Bill to Schedule Xylazine as Controlled Substance

NC AG Press Releases

Published March 31st, 2026

Detected April 2nd, 2026

Summary

North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson joined a bipartisan coalition of AGs urging Congress to pass the Combating Illicit Xylazine Act (S. 545/H.R. 1266), which would classify xylazine (tranq), a veterinary tranquilizer linked to overdose deaths, as a Schedule III controlled substance. The bill would authorize DEA and law enforcement to track manufacturing, shut down illegal producers, and prevent illicit distribution. Testing found xylazine present in approximately 27 percent of street drug samples from 30 North Carolina counties in 2023.

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What changed

The Combating Illicit Xylazine Act (S. 545/H.R. 1266) would classify xylazine as a Schedule III substance under federal law, enabling DEA and federal, state, and local law enforcement to track manufacturing, shut down drug producers, and prevent illegal distribution. The bill also requires reporting to Congress on the prevalence and impacts of illicit xylazine, including its origin and distribution channels. Xylazine, a veterinary tranquilizer not approved for human use, is increasingly mixed with illicit opioids like fentanyl and was declared an "emerging threat" by the White House in 2023.

Healthcare providers and law enforcement should monitor congressional action on this bill as it advances. While no compliance deadline exists yet, passage would create new regulatory requirements around xylazine tracking and reporting. The bill is co-sponsored by over 100 bipartisan lawmakers and supported by federal agencies and dozens of law enforcement and veterinary organizations. If enacted, entities handling xylazine would face new scheduling requirements and reporting obligations under federal controlled substance law.

What to do next

Monitor S. 545/H.R. 1266 progress through Congress
Review internal policies for xylazine handling and reporting if the bill passes
Coordinate with legal counsel on potential Schedule III compliance obligations

Source document (simplified)

Attorney General Jeff Jackson Calls on Congress to Pass Bipartisan Legislation That Would Regulate Deadly Drug Xylazine

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, March 31, 2026
Contact: comms@ncdoj.gov
919-538-2809

RALEIGH – Attorney General Jeff Jackson today joined a bipartisan group of attorneys general urging Congress to pass the Combating Illicit Xylazine Act (S. 545/ H.R. 1266). The bipartisan bill would classify xylazine as a Schedule III substance under federal law, which would help prevent the illicit use of the dangerous drug and ultimately save lives. The cosponsors include North Carolina Senators Thom Tillis and Ted Budd and Representatives Deborah Ross, Don Davis, Addison McDowell, Brad Knott, David Rouzer, Valerie Foushee, and Tim Moore.

“Regulating this deadly drug would help law enforcement keep xylazine off our streets and prevent overdose deaths in North Carolina,” said Attorney General Jeff Jackson. “That’s why I’m calling on Congress to act quickly to turn this bill into law.”

Xylazine, also called tranq, is a veterinary tranquilizer linked to overdose deaths in the United States. It is not approved for human use but is increasingly being mixed with illicit opioids, such as fentanyl, to increase their street value or make their effects more potent. In humans, xylazine has dangerous effects, including slowed heart rate, slowed breathing, and a drop in blood pressure. It can also cause severe skin wounds, such as rotting tissue, that can lead to amputation.

Importantly, xylazine is not an opioid. That makes it difficult to rescue people who overdose because life-saving reversal drugs like naloxone, which are used to reverse an opioid overdose, don’t work to stop the effects of xylazine.

In 2023, the White House declared xylazine an “emerging threat.” That same year, street drug samples tested from 30 North Carolina counties found xylazine in roughly 27 percent of those samples.

Today, the drug is not a federally controlled substance. The Combating Illicit Xylazine Act would change that. It would allow the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) as well as federal, state, and local law enforcement to track the manufacturing of xylazine, shut down drug producers, and prevent its illegal distribution. It would also require reporting to Congress on the prevalence and impacts of illicit xylazine in the United States, including where it is originating and where it is being distributed.

The bill is widely supported by federal agencies and dozens of law enforcement and veterinary organizations. It is co-sponsored by more than 100 lawmakers from both parties.

When Attorney General Jackson represented North Carolina in the U.S. Congress, he co-sponsored the bipartisan TRANQ Research Act of 2023, which directed the federal government to research ways to identify and detect xylazine and other new synthetic opioids. The bill became law in December 2023.

Attorney General Jackson is joined in sending this letter by the Attorneys General of Arkansas, Connecticut, New York, Tennessee, American Samoa, Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wyoming.

A copy of the letter is available here.

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