S.Amdt. 1600

SA 1600. Mr. CASEY submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to
amendment SA 1388 proposed by Mrs. Murray (for herself and Mr. Schumer)
to the bill H.R. 815, to amend title 38, United States Code, to make
certain improvements relating to the eligibility of veterans to receive
reimbursement for emergency treatment furnished through the Veterans
Community Care program, and for other purposes; which was ordered to
lie on the table; as follows:

At the appropriate place, insert the following:

SEC. ___. REPORT ON ILLICIT TRAFFICKING OF ILLICIT XYLAZINE
AND NON-FENTANYL DERIVED SYNTHETIC OPIOIDS INTO
THE UNITED STATES.

(a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
(1) Illicit xylazine is an urgent threat to public health
and safety across the United States.
(2) Xylazine, also known as ``tranq'', is a powerful
sedative used by veterinarians working with large animals,
such as horses and cattle.
(3) Although not approved for human consumption, xylazine
is often added to other illicit drugs, particularly fentanyl,
to enhance the effects of such drugs and increase profits for
drug traffickers.
(4) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, has become known as
``ground zero'' for the xylazine crisis, and recent studies
have found traces of xylazine in more than 90 percent of the
illicit drug supply in Philadelphia.
(5) In October 2022, the Drug Enforcement Administration
(DEA) reported that xylazine powder could be purchased online
from the People's Republic of China for prices as low as $6
to $20 per kilogram.
(6) In September 2023, the DEA and the Department of
Homeland Security identified illicit xylazine entering the
United States in several ways, including in solid form from
the People's Republic of China and other countries, in liquid
form either diverted from veterinary supply chains or
packaged to resemble a veterinary drug, and mixed with
fentanyl seized at the southwest border.
(7) In January 2024, the DEA noted that new and deadly
synthetic opioids, such as benzimidazole-based opioids, are
being increasingly trafficked and abused as the opioid
epidemic continues to evolve in the United States.
(8) Also known as nitazenes, benzimidazole-based opioids
have no legitimate medicinal purpose and can be significantly
more potent than fentanyl.
(9) As the United States continues the fight against
illicit fentanyl, more must be done to understand and combat
the emerging frontiers of the drug crisis in the United
States, including the illicit supply chain of xylazine and
non-fentanyl derived synthetic opioids.
(b) Report Required.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Attorney General, in
coordination with the Secretary of Homeland Security and the
Director of National Intelligence, shall submit to Congress a
report on the illicit trafficking of xylazine and non-
fentanyl derived synthetic opioids into the United States.
(2) Contents.--The report required by paragraph (1) shall
include:
(A) an identification of the sources of illicit xylazine
and non-fentanyl derived synthetic opioids;
(B) an identifcation of the locations from which illicit
xylazine and non-fentanyl synthetic opioids are originating;
(C) a description of the involvement of the People's
Republic of China, India, and other major illicit drug
producing countries, as identified in Presidential
Determination No. 2023-12 (88 Fed. Reg. 66673; relating to
major drug transit or major illicit drug producing countries
for fiscal year 2024), in the transit or production of
illicit xylazine and non-fentanyl derived synthetic opioids;
(D) a description of what such illicit drug producing
countries are doing to stop the illicit trafficking of
xylazine and non-fentanyl derived synthetic opioids;
(E) an assessment of the use of online markets and
platforms for the marketing, sale, and payment for illicit
xylazine and non-fentanyl derived synthetic opioids;
(F) an assessment of the use of common carriers for the
shipment and delivery of illicit xylazine and non-fentanyl
derived synthetic opioids;
(G) a description of current actions of the Federal
Government to combat the illicit trafficking of xylazine and
non-fentanyl derived synthetic opioids;
(H) an identification of gaps and resource deficiencies in
combating the illicit trafficking of xylazine and non-
fentanyl derived synthetic opioids; and
(I) a description of strategies for targeted and
coordinated law enforcement efforts to disrupt the illicit
supply of xylazine and non-fentanyl derived synthetic
opioids.
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