This afternoon, The House has unanimously passed Senate Bill 1164, sponsored by Senator Dominic Pileggi (R-Chester/Delaware), which provides immunity from prosecution for certain drug crimes to an individual seeking medical assistance for a drug overdose. I sponsored an amendment to this bill, which passed unanimously in June, allowing first responders to carry and administer the opioid-antagonist naloxone. This legislation also adds approval for law enforcement agencies or fire departments to obtain a supply of Naloxone, and, after receiving training, administer the drug to an individual experiencing a drug overdose. The number of heroin-related deaths weve seen across the Commonwealth has been, unfortunately, amazingly consistent. When help is called, law enforcement officers are often first to arrive at the scene, and experts say those early minutes can be the key to saving a life. Conditions of the Bill include: The caller must provide their name and location of the offense and cooperate with authorities; The caller must remain with the person requiring immediate medical attention until authorities arrive at the scene; The caller reasonably believes that he/she was the first person to report the incident; Law enforcement officers only became aware of the situation because the caller reported the occurrence of the drug overdose in good faith. Many citizens across the Commonwealth have lost family and friends to heroin and prescription drug abuse. You’d be hard pressed to find someone who hasnt been affected by this epidemic. Had a bill like this been in place, I believe some of those same individuals would be alive today. The bill does not protect those who commit offenses involving delivery or distribution of a controlled substance, or drug-induced homicide. Similar laws have been enacted in 12 states, including Delaware and New Jersey. This legislation is just another tool to assist law enforcement officers and first responders in saving lives and protecting our community. Senate Bill 1164 now returns to the Senate for concurrence.
Posted on: Wed, 17 Sep 2014 18:46:03 +0000
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