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This week, Congressman Bob Latta (R-OH) reintroduced Tyler's Law, legislation aimed at preventing fentanyl overdoses in the United States. The bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to complete a study on how frequently hospitals test for fentanyl in patients experiencing an overdose and to use the results of the study to issue guidance to hospitals on implementing fentanyl testing in emergency rooms.

Latta joined Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) and Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA) in reintroducing the bill in the U.S. House. Companion legislation in the Senate has been introduced by Sen. Jim Banks (R-IN) and Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA).

“Illicit fentanyl and its analogs have claimed countless American lives, and we must continue to do everything we can to curb this deadly epidemic," Latta said. "That’s why I’m proud to introduce Tyler’s Law, which will help us better understand fentanyl overdoses and the fentanyl overdose testing shortfalls occurring in hospital emergency rooms. I urge my colleagues in the House and Senate to support this vital, bipartisan legislation which will help save lives.”

“Fentanyl is the leading cause of drug overdoses in the US and hospitals must test for it," Lieu said. "I have been honored to work with Tyler’s mom, Juli, on this bipartisan legislation to ensure no other family experiences such a devastating tragedy. It is shocking that some hospitals do not include fentanyl testing for patients experiencing an overdose. Many physicians may not even be aware that the routine tests they run do not detect fentanyl. Tyler’s Law will help better equip our doctors and hospitals to prevent fentanyl-related deaths. It’s time to come together and save lives.”

"No one should ever experience the heartbreak of losing a loved one to a fentanyl overdose, nor should anyone have to question whether that death could have been prevented,” Kamlager-Dove said. “In 2018, my constituent, Tyler Shamash, tragically lost his life to an overdose because fentanyl was not included in the emergency room’s drug screening. Tyler’s Law aims to save countless lives by ensuring that overdose victims can receive critical care before it’s too late. I am deeply grateful to have met Tyler’s mother, Juli, whose strength and tireless advocacy led to California's requirement for emergency rooms to include fentanyl in their drug screenings. Now, we must take the next step and make fentanyl testing a nationwide standard by passing this lifesaving legislation.”

“Too many families in Indiana and across America have lost loved ones to fentanyl poisoning," Banks said. "Tyler’s Law will help prevent these tragedies by directing emergency rooms to screen for fentanyl, ensuring overdose victims receive timely, life-saving care. I thank Tyler’s mother, Juli, for championing this legislation to make fentanyl testing a national standard.”

“The fentanyl crisis isn’t just a public health emergency — it’s a matter of life and death for communities in California and across the country,” Padilla said. “Far too many people, including children, have tragically died from fentanyl overdoses, including Tyler Shamash, a Los Angeles teenager whose hospital screening tests failed to detect the drug in his system. Our bipartisan legislation honors Tyler’s memory by bringing California’s updated standard of including fentanyl in emergency room screenings to the federal level. Even one preventable death is too many.”

“The night before Tyler died from consuming fentanyl, he was sent to the hospital with a suspected overdose," Juli Shamash, Mother of Tyler Shamash, said. "When he got there, they did a drug test and it turned out negative. After he died, we found out it did not cover fentanyl because it was a synthetic opioid. Had we known, we could have sent him to a place with a higher level of care, instead of the sober living home where he died. This bill will save lives in situations like Tyler’s, as well as in cases where people are brought into an ER for an overdose of one substance, but they unknowingly consumed fentanyl from a poisoned product. Currently, many drug screenings in emergency rooms only test for marijuana, cocaine, amphetamines, opiates, and phencyclidine (PCP) – but not fentanyl. Many doctors are not aware that since fentanyl is a synthetic opioid, it does not show up on most rapid drug screenings. Adding fentanyl to routine drug screenings in emergency rooms could prevent many fentanyl-related deaths.”

Background on emergency drug screenings:
Currently, many drug screenings in emergency rooms only test for marijuana, cocaine, amphetamines, opiates, and phencyclidine (PCP) – but not fentanyl. Since fentanyl is a synthetic opioid, it does not show up on most rapid drug screenings. Adding fentanyl to routine drug screenings in emergency rooms could prevent many fentanyl-related deaths, which increased 97-fold in the United States from 1999-2021, according to HHS. 

Background on Tyler's Law:
Tyler’s Law is named in memory of Tyler Shamash, a 19-year-old boy who died in 2018 following a fentanyl ingestion. He was not tested for fentanyl upon being checked into the emergency room. His mother, Juli, has been advocating for this legislation and sharing her son’s story to prevent others from experiencing the same tragedy.