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
________________________________________________________________________
9221
IN SENATE
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:
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.
25 3. The commissioner, in cooperation with the commissioner of the
26 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
1 educational campaign on the dangers of medetomidine, benzodiazepine,
2 nitazenes, and/or other harmful contaminants. Such campaign shall
3 detail where medetomidine, benzodiazepine, nitazenes, and/or other harm-
4 ful contaminants may be found and the availability of the free test
5 strips for medetomidine, benzodiazepine, nitazenes, and/or other harmful
6 contaminants at the facilities referenced in subdivision one of this
7 section.
8 § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
9 it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amend-
10 ment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implemen-
11 tation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and
12 completed on or before such effective date.
