Testing, Rapid Analysis, and Narcotic Quality Research Act or the TRANQ Research Act
This bill requires the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to support research and other activities related to identifying xylazine (a compound used in veterinary medicine as a nonopioid tranquilizer), novel synthetic opioids, and other emerging substances of concern.
In particular, NIST must support
- basic measurement science and research, including graduate and postgraduate research;
- near-real time spectrometry capabilities (i.e., a technique for rapidly identifying the chemical composition of a substance);
- strategies and voluntary best practices for handling, transporting, and analyzing such substances; and
- collaboration with other government agencies, institutions of higher education, and the private sector to enhance relevant narcotic and opioid detection and analysis capabilities.