Texas House unanimously gives initial approve to bill that would legalize fentanyl testing strips

The Texas House has given unanimous initial approval to a bill to legalize fentanyl testing strips. Currently, state law classifies the strips as drug paraphernalia.   On Tuesday, state lawmakers passed House Bill 1644 on second reading by a vote of 145 to 0. It would legalize testing strips for fentanyl and Xylazine, also known as “tranq,” a veterinary tranquilizer often mixed into illicit drugs.

“You can purchase these strips 30 to a box for $30 online on Amazon,” said State Rep. Tom Oliverson (R-Cypress), the author of HB 1644. “They’re available in most states.”

Fentanyl poisoning has killed more than 7,000 Texans since 2019. Most victims have no idea they’re taking the synthetic opioid, which is often blended into pills that look identical to medications like Xanax and Adderall. Oliverson emphasized that legalizing these strips would not be an endorsement of drug legalization or usage.

The House passed a similar bill in 2023 and Gov. Greg Abbott publicly supported the idea, but the measure never passed the Senate.

During a press conference on Monday highlighting a 36% drop in fentanyl-induced deaths in Travis County in 2024, elected officials and advocates said testing strips are key to saving more lives going forward.

“We’d love to see fentanyl test strips legalized at the state and federal level,” Travis County Judge Andy Brown said. “These fentanyl strips are so important for people to have access to know what they’re going to put in their body,” said Maggie Luna, the executive director of Texas Harm Reduction Alliance. HB 1644 needs one more vote in the House on a third reading, which is typically a formality, before it heads to the Senate.