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Montana Senate backs assault-by-drug measure after heated debate over added language on vaccines and common medicines
Summary
The Montana Senate concurred in House Bill 174 on second reading after members debated an amendment that extended the new assault offense to include a wide list of drugs — language opponents said unintentionally criminalized routine administration of medicines and vaccines without clarifying minors or medical exceptions.
The Montana Senate on March 28 voted to concur in House Bill 174, a measure creating an assault offense for knowingly or purposely providing certain drugs to another person without consent, after more than an hour of debate over an amendment that expanded the list of covered substances.
The bill's carrier, Senator Emmerich, told the committee the measure "simply extends the statute" and that it was intended to protect people who are rendered incapacitated by drugs. Emmerich said the updated language covered situations when a person receives a drug without "express, informed, or implied consent," or without consent from a parent, guardian or medical power of attorney.
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