This legislation, titled the DETECT Nitazenes Act of 2026 , mandates a collaboration between the Department of Homeland Security's Science and Technology Directorate and the Drug Enforcement Agency. The core objective of this partnership is to enhance the capacity to detect, identify, and disrupt illicit substances, specifically nitazenes , even in very low concentrations. This initiative aims to bolster national security efforts against the proliferation of dangerous synthetic drugs. To facilitate this, the bill amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002, specifically Section 302(15). This amendment expands the list of substances for which the Science and Technology Directorate must develop detection capabilities, adding nitazenes to fentanyl and xylazine.