Attorney General Formella Joins Coalition Urging Xylazine Act

AG: New Hampshire Press Releases

Published March 31st, 2026

Detected March 31st, 2026

Summary

New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella joined a bipartisan coalition of over 40 state attorneys general urging Congress to pass S. 545/H.R. 1266, the Combating Illicit Xylazine Act. The legislation would classify xylazine (street name "tranq"), an animal tranquilizer increasingly mixed with fentanyl, as a Schedule III controlled substance. The coalition emphasizes that federal action is needed to help law enforcement track manufacturing and distribution while addressing the growing role of xylazine in overdose deaths.

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What changed

Attorney General Formella and a bipartisan coalition of over 40 state AGs sent a letter to congressional leadership urging passage of the Combating Illicit Xylazine Act (S. 545/H.R. 1266). The proposed legislation would classify illicit xylazine as a Schedule III controlled substance, enabling better tracking of manufacturing and distribution, preventing diversion, and improving data collection. Xylazine is a non-opioid veterinary tranquilizer not approved for human use that is increasingly found mixed with fentanyl and does not respond to naloxone, complicating overdose response efforts.

No immediate action is required by regulated entities. This is an advocacy document calling on Congress to pass legislation; the bill has received bipartisan support and advanced through the Senate Judiciary Committee but has not yet been enacted. Law enforcement, public health agencies, and stakeholders in opioid response should monitor legislative progress on this bill.

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Attorney General Formella, Bipartisan Coalition Urge Congress to Pass Combating Illicit Xylazine Act

Press Release For Immediate Release Date: March 31, 2026

Contact Michael S. Garrity, Director of Communications
(603) 931-9375 | michael.s.garrity@doj.nh.gov

Attorney General Formella, Bipartisan Coalition Urge Congress to Pass Combating Illicit Xylazine Act

Concord, NH – Attorney General John M. Formella announces that he, along with a bipartisan coalition of more than 40 state attorneys general, is urging congressional leaders to pass S. 545 / H.R. 1266, the Combating Illicit Xylazine Act, legislation aimed at addressing the growing threat of xylazine in the nation’s illicit drug supply.

“Xylazine is making an already deadly drug crisis even more dangerous,” said Attorney General Formella. “This substance is increasingly being mixed with fentanyl and other illicit opioids, contributing to overdose deaths and complicating life-saving response efforts. Congress must act quickly to ensure law enforcement and public health officials have the tools they need to address this evolving threat.”

In a letter to House and Senate leadership, Attorney General Formella and the coalition call for swift action to classify illicit xylazine as a Schedule III controlled substance and provide law enforcement with additional tools to combat its spread. The coalition emphasizes that federal action is critical to better protect communities and reduce opioid overdose deaths.

The bipartisan legislation would classify the dangerous animal tranquilizer xylazine, often mixed with fentanyl and other opioids, as a federal controlled substance, enabling authorities to better track its manufacturing and distribution, prevent diversion into the illicit market, and improve data collection and reporting.

Xylazine, widely known by its street name “tranq,” is a non-opioid veterinary tranquilizer used for large animals, including horses and deer, and is not approved for human use. Because it is not an opioid, it does not respond to overdose reversal agents such as naloxone, reducing the effectiveness of traditional overdose interventions and increasing its lethality when combined with opioids. Federal public health officials, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, have identified xylazine as an increasing factor in overdose fatalities.

Attorney General Formella and the coalition note that limited data and inconsistent testing make it difficult to fully understand and track the scope of xylazine’s impact. By improving monitoring and reporting, the legislation would better equip law enforcement to respond to this emerging threat.

The legislation has received strong bipartisan support in Congress, including recent advancement by the Senate Judiciary Committee. In their letter, the attorneys general urge Congress to pass the bill without delay to help address the evolving opioid epidemic and save lives.