Substance Use Disorders Harm Reduction

Opioid and Other Substance Use Disorders Study Committee. Section 1 of the bill excludes injuries involving the possession of drugs or drug paraphernalia from a physician's mandatory reporting requirements. Sections 2 and 3 clarify that the civil and criminal immunity that protects a person who acts in good faith to furnish or administer an opioid antagonist also protects a person who distributes the opioid antagonist. Section 4 adds an exemption to the prohibition on possessing drug paraphernalia for possession of drug paraphernalia that a person received from an approved syringe exchange program or a program carried out by a harm reduction organization while the person was participating in the program. Section 5 specifies that money appropriated to the department of public health and environment to purchase non-laboratory synthetic opiate detection tests may also be used to purchase other drug testing equipment. Section 6 authorizes an organization operating a clean syringe exchange program to:

• Purchase and distribute other supplies and tools intended to reduce health risks associated with the use of drugs, including smoking materials; and
• Provide drug testing services through the program.

Sections 7 though 23 are conforming amendments that update the term "opiate antagonist" to "opioid antagonist".

(Note: Italicized words indicate new material added to the original summary; dashes through words indicate deletions from the original summary.)

(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)