WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Tyler's Law, a bill introduced in 2025 by Senator Jim Banks (R-Ind.) passed unanimously out of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee. This bill directs the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to study whether hospitals should implement fentanyl testing in their routine emergency department drug screens, and issue guidance based on the study.

This bill is named after Tyler Shamash, a California teenager who died from a fentanyl poisoning after the standard five-panel drug test he was given failed to detect fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, and he did not receive the level of care he needed.

Senator Jim Banks (R-Ind.): "Too many families in Indiana and across America have lost loved ones to fentanyl poisoning. Tyler's Law will help prevent these tragedies by promoting fentanyl testing in hospital emergency departments. I thank Tyler's mother, Juli, for championing this legislation to make fentanyl testing a national standard, and I am proud to see it pass out of committee."

Key Provisions of Tyler's Law:

• Study Fentanyl Testing - HHS would assess current hospital emergency department fentanyl testing rates, costs, and benefits.
• Provide Guidance - HHS would issue recommendations for routine fentanyl testing in hospitals.
• Enhance Diagnosis & Treatment - The bill aims to improve fentanyl exposure diagnosis and guide prevention and treatment efforts.

Full bill text can be found here.

Background:

Senator Banks' first Senate bill, the Countering Beijing's Weaponization (CBW) of Fentanyl Act, seeks to amend the Chemical and Biological Weapons Control and Warfare Elimination Act of 1991. The legislation would classify fentanyl and its precursors as chemical and biological weapons under U.S. law.

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