Senate Bill S9221

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Establishes a medetomidine, benzodiazepine, nitazenes, and/or other harmful contaminants test strip program

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Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Alcoholism And Substance Use Disorders Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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Date of Action	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Feb 17, 2026	referred to alcoholism and substance use disorders

2025-S9221 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A9001
Current Committee:: Senate Alcoholism And Substance Use Disorders
Law Section:: Mental Hygiene Law
Laws Affected:: Add §19.47, Ment Hyg L

2025-S9221 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Directs the commissioner of the office of alcoholism and substance abuse services to establish a program for individuals to receive free drug test strips to detect the presence of medetomidine, benzodiazepine, nitazenes, and/or other harmful contaminants; directs the commissioner of the office of alcoholism and substance abuse services, in cooperation with the commissioner of the department of health, to develop and conduct a public awareness and educational campaign on the dangers of medetomidine, benzodiazepine, nitazenes, and/or other harmful contaminants.

2025-S9221 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S9221

SPONSOR: RYAN C
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to establishing a
medetomidine, benzodiazepine, nitazenes, and/or other harmful contam-
inants test strip program

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

The mental hygiene law is amended by adding a new section 19.47 to read
as follows:

Section 1 establishes the program where individuals free of change may
receive medetomidine, benzodiazepine, and/or nitazenes test strips free
of charge at hospital emergency rooms, addiction treatment facilities,
facilities for substance use disorder programs, homeless shelters,
urgent care centers, mobile medication units, and treatment facilities.
This section states that individuals shall not be targeted by law
enforcement when obtaining test strips and establishes that a public
awareness and education campaign be conducted to educate the public on
the dangers of medetomidine, benzodiazepine, nitazenes, and/or other

harmful contaminants.

Section 2 establishes an effective date.

 
PURPOSE AND JUSTIFICATION:

Evidence suggests that as fentanyl saturation in the illicit supply
increases, preference for more potent substances among people who use
drugs also increases. This preference for a more potent supply is often
willingly met by illicit suppliers, who seek to differentiate their
supply in novel ways. Adulterants can be added to increase potency,
achieve synergistic effects, or to drive profit (adulterating a supply
with a cheaper alternative).

According to NYSDOH drug checking data, there has been a rise in known
adulterants to the fentanyl and opioid supply. In samples expected to
contain opioids, 25% contained Medetomidine (a tranquilizer) and 16%
contained Benzodiazepines.

Nitazenes are a class of extremely potent opioids with a different chem-
ical structure than fentanyl. Nitazenes are generally considered to be
more potent than fentanyl, but due to their distinct chemical structure,
they are not reliably identified by existing fentanyl testing strips.

As the overdose crisis evolves, we must adapt our approach. Expanding
our drug-testing focus (currently limited to fentanyl and xylazine
contamination in the supply) to include emerging and prospective adul-
terants allows us to more nimbly respond to the crisis.

On June 3rd, 2025, Dr. Kimberly Boulden (Director of Operations for
MATTERS) testified before the New York State Assembly Alcoholism &
Substance Abuse Committee and recommended this legislation.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New legislation.
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the 180th day after it becomes law

2025-S9221 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   9221
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             February 17, 2026
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. C. RYAN -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Alcoholism  and  Substance
   Use Disorders
 
 AN  ACT  to  amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to establishing a
   medetomidine, benzodiazepine, nitazenes, and/or other harmful  contam-
   inants test strip program

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. The mental hygiene law is amended by adding a  new  section
 19.47 to read as follows:
 § 19.47 MEDETOMIDINE,  BENZODIAZEPINE,  NITAZENES,  AND/OR OTHER HARMFUL
           CONTAMINANTS TEST STRIP PROGRAM.
   1. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL ESTABLISH A PROGRAM WHEREBY INDIVIDUALS  MAY
 RECEIVE,  FREE  OF  CHARGE,  DRUG  TEST STRIPS TO DETECT THE PRESENCE OF
 CONTAMINANTS SUCH AS  MEDETOMIDINE,  BENZODIAZEPINE,  NITAZENES,  AND/OR
 OTHER  HARMFUL  CONTAMINANTS.    THE  FOLLOWING  FACILITIES MAY APPLY TO
 DISTRIBUTE SUCH TEST STRIPS FOR MEDETOMIDINE, BENZODIAZEPINE, NITAZENES,
 AND/OR OTHER HARMFUL CONTAMINANTS:
   (A) HOSPITAL EMERGENCY ROOMS;
   (B) ADDICTION TREATMENT FACILITIES;
   (C) FACILITIES FOR SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER PROGRAMS;
   (D) HOMELESS SHELTERS;
   (E) URGENT CARE CENTERS;
   (F) MOBILE MEDICATION UNITS;
   (G) TREATMENT FACILITIES AS DEFINED IN PARAGRAPH FIVE  OF  SUBDIVISION
 (A) OF SECTION 22.09 OF THIS TITLE; AND
   (H) ANY OTHER SETTING, AS DETERMINED BY THE OFFICE, WHICH IS ROUTINELY
 ACCESSED BY INDIVIDUALS WITH A SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER.
   2.  INDIVIDUALS SHALL NOT BE TARGETED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT WHEN THEY ARE
 OBTAINING  TEST  STRIPS  FOR  MEDETOMIDINE,  BENZODIAZEPINE,  NITAZENES,
 AND/OR OTHER HARMFUL CONTAMINANTS AT THE FACILITIES PURSUANT TO SUBDIVI-
 SION ONE OF THIS SECTION.
   3.  THE  COMMISSIONER,  IN  COOPERATION  WITH  THE COMMISSIONER OF THE
 DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, SHALL DEVELOP AND CONDUCT A PUBLIC  AWARENESS  AND
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.

                                                            LBD13552-02-5
 S. 9221                             2
 
 EDUCATIONAL  CAMPAIGN  ON  THE  DANGERS OF MEDETOMIDINE, BENZODIAZEPINE,
 NITAZENES, AND/OR OTHER  HARMFUL  CONTAMINANTS.    SUCH  CAMPAIGN  SHALL
 DETAIL WHERE MEDETOMIDINE, BENZODIAZEPINE, NITAZENES, AND/OR OTHER HARM-
 FUL  CONTAMINANTS  MAY  BE  FOUND  AND THE AVAILABILITY OF THE FREE TEST
 STRIPS FOR MEDETOMIDINE, BENZODIAZEPINE, NITAZENES, AND/OR OTHER HARMFUL
 CONTAMINANTS AT THE FACILITIES REFERENCED IN  SUBDIVISION  ONE  OF  THIS
 SECTION.
   § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
 it  shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amend-
 ment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implemen-
 tation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be  made  and
 completed on or before such effective date.

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Senate Bill S9221

Sponsored By

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Alcoholism And Substance Use Disorders Committee

Actions

2025-S9221 (ACTIVE) - Details

2025-S9221 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2025-S9221 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S9221 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

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Sponsored By

Christopher J. Ryan

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Alcoholism And Substance Use Disorders Committee

Actions

2025-S9221 (ACTIVE) - Details

2025-S9221 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2025-S9221 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S9221 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments