The Senate Corrections and Criminal Law Committee heard Sen. Raatz’s SB 499 on narcotic drugs and naloxone for amend and vote. The bill provides that a trier of fact may conclude that a person possessed a schedule I or II narcotic drug if: (1) the person suffered symptoms of an acute opioid overdose; and (2) administration of an overdose intervention drug alleviated the symptoms within 15 minutes. The bill also specifies that certain persons: (1) charged with or convicted of a drug offense; and (2) who received an overdose intervention drug for an acute opioid overdose; are entitled to priority admission in a forensic diversion program, a pretrial diversion program, or another program, including a drug court program, offering treatment for persons with addictive disorders.
The bill was amended to establish a three-year involuntary commitment pilot program in Marion County, Allen County, and Wayne County for treatment of individuals at serious risk of injury or death due to opioid abuse and appropriates $750,000 per year for the biennium to the Division of Mental Health and Addiction to operate the program. The amendment specifies that existing involuntary commitment laws apply to persons at serious risk of injury or death due to abuse of opioids, and provides that resuscitation after administration of an overdose intervention drug is prima facie evidence that a person is at serious risk of injury or death due to abuse of opioids. The amendment also authorizes an emergency medical services provider to institute a 48-hour immediate detention of a person at serious risk of injury or death due to abuse of opioids. Under current law, only a law enforcement officer may institute an immediate detention, and the time period is limited to 24 hours. The amended bill passed 8-0 and was reassigned to Appropriations.
The Senate Appropriations Committee amended the bill by consent to add the creation of the Indiana Commission to Combat Drug Abuse and that the commission may provide money to fund this bill. The amended bill passed 12-1.
Read the bill at http://iga.in.gov/legislative/2017/bills/senate/499