H.R. 1561 explained · 119th Congress · Pending in Congress
ALERT Communities Act
Cosponsors: 1 (0 D, 1 R) · per Congress.gov, 2026-10-15
Introduced: 2025-02-25
Latest action (2026-07-21): Ordered to be Reported by the Yeas and Nays: 48 - 0.
What H.R. 1561 does, in plain terms
Advancing Lifesaving Efforts with Rapid Test strips for Communities Act or the ALERT Communities Act This bill establishes programs and requirements to advance the development and usage of test strips that detect the presence of certain hazardous drugs (e.g., fentanyl, xylazine). Currently, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration provides grants to government entities to train and provide authorized equipment to first responders and other relevant personnel for emergency treatment of opioid overdoses. The bill expands these grants to include rapid response test strips for detecting the presence of fentanyl, xylazine, and other synthetic opioids or emerging substances in people or within other drugs. Additionally, the bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to publish guidance and standards for test strip manufacturers to support the development, evaluation, and authorization of test strips. Also, HHS must conduct a study and report to Congress on how the availability and usage of test strips and similar equipment impacts the frequency of overdoses and participation in substance use disorder treatment.
Official summary by the Congressional Research Service, via Congress.gov.
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