Defender Letter to Congress in Opposition to S. 545, The Combatting Illicit Xylazine Act

In March 2026, the Federal Defenders' Legislative Committee sent a letter to Congress' Senate Judiciary Committee in opposition to S. 545, the Combatting Illicit Xylazine Act. S. 545 would bypass the Controlled Substance Act's scheduling procedures by placing xylazine on Schedule III through legislation, without the FDA's medical and scientific analysis.