Rep. Bob Latta
Three pieces of legislation introduced by U.S. Rep. Bob Latta (R-OH) that aim to help fight the nation’s opioid epidemic received approval on Tuesday from the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee.
The committee approved the Strengthening Tools to Outlaw Poisonous (STOP) Nitazenes Act, H.R. 7970, and the bipartisan, bicameral Tyler’s Law, H.R. 2004.
“Today’s advancement of the STOP Nitazenes Act and Tyler’s Law out of committee is an important step forward in our efforts to save lives and confront the devastating impact of synthetic opioids in communities across the country,” Rep. Latta said on July 21. “These bills will help ensure hospitals and health officials have the tools, data, and authorities they need to respond more effectively to overdoses and keep dangerous substances like nitazenes off our streets. I urge the House floor to take up this legislation immediately.”
H.R. 7970, which Rep. Latta sponsored on March 18, would schedule 2-benzylbenzimidazole opioids, commonly known as nitazenes, as Schedule I controlled substances because they are increasingly contributing to overdose deaths nationwide.
Depending on the chemical formulation, some nitazenes can be up to 800 times more potent than morphine and 40 times more potent than fentanyl. Like other illegal street drugs that are often laced with fentanyl, substances may also contain nitazenes without the user’s knowledge, according to a bill summary provided by the lawmaker.
H.R. 2004, which Rep. Latta cosponsored in March 2025 alongside bill sponsor U.S. Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA), would require the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 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 rules.
Additionally, the House Energy and Commerce Committee passed the bipartisan Nonprescription Drug Innovation Act, H.R. 9774, as part of the larger Lower Costs, More Transparency Act, H.R. 9393.
The Nonprescription Drug Innovation Act, which Rep. Latta sponsored on Monday alongside bill cosponsor U.S. Rep. Greg Landsman (D-OH), would establish a new “Priority Nonprescription Drug” designation to help expedite the development and review of certain over-the-counter medications to give consumers access to manage their own care in a safe and affordable manner, a summary says.