Griffin, Stirpe, Schiavoni, McDonald, Conrad, Manktelow, DeStefano, Smullen, Gray, Brown K
MLTSPNSR
Add §19.47, Ment Hyg L
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.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
9001
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
August 13, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. STECK -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse
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:
1 Section 1. The mental hygiene law is amended by adding a new section
2 19.47 to read as follows:
3 § 19.47 Medetomidine, benzodiazepine, nitazenes, and/or other harmful
4 contaminants test strip program.
5 1. The commissioner shall establish a program whereby individuals may
6 receive, free of charge, drug test strips to detect the presence of
7 contaminants such as medetomidine, benzodiazepine, nitazenes, and/or
8 other harmful contaminants. The following facilities may apply to
9 distribute such test strips for medetomidine, benzodiazepine, nitazenes,
10 and/or other harmful contaminants:
11 (a) hospital emergency rooms;
12 (b) addiction treatment facilities;
13 (c) facilities for substance use disorder programs;
14 (d) homeless shelters;
15 (e) urgent care centers;
16 (f) mobile medication units;
17 (g) treatment facilities as defined in paragraph five of subdivision
18 (a) of section 22.09 of this title; and
19 (h) any other setting, as determined by the office, which is routinely
20 accessed by individuals with a substance use disorder.
21 2. Individuals shall not be targeted by law enforcement when they are
22 obtaining test strips for medetomidine, benzodiazepine, nitazenes,
23 and/or other harmful contaminants at the facilities pursuant to subdivi-
24 sion one of this section.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD13552-02-5
A. 9001 2
1 3. The commissioner, in cooperation with the commissioner of the
2 department of health, shall develop and conduct a public awareness and
3 educational campaign on the dangers of medetomidine, benzodiazepine,
4 nitazenes, and/or other harmful contaminants. Such campaign shall
5 detail where medetomidine, benzodiazepine, nitazenes, and/or other harm-
6 ful contaminants may be found and the availability of the free test
7 strips for medetomidine, benzodiazepine, nitazenes, and/or other harmful
8 contaminants at the facilities referenced in subdivision one of this
9 section.
10 § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
11 it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amend-
12 ment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implemen-
13 tation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and
14 completed on or before such effective date.
