Rep. McGuire files repeal of overdose prevention center law, citing conflicts with national harm-reduction guidance

Representative Eric McGuire told the House Human Services Committee he will introduce a bill to repeal the state law authorizing overdose prevention centers (referred to in testimony as Act 178). McGuire said the repeal would remove the state statute allowing supervised consumption sites and halt further initiatives toward overdose prevention centers.

McGuire said the measure stems from concerns that supervised consumption sites are not part of the harm-reduction models endorsed by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the National Institutes of Health, or the American Society of Addiction Medicine. He also cited legal uncertainty at the federal level, noting the Department of Justice had not issued definitive guidance on enforcement under the Controlled Substances Act and that centers could face federal enforcement if those laws are applied.

McGuire said he supports continuing to fund other elements of the state’s substance-use treatment and recovery infrastructure — including commitments already made under prior legislation — and that his repeal would stop new funding or new initiatives for overdose prevention centers going forward. Committee members sought clarification about whether repeal would terminate funding authorized under prior bills; McGuire responded that if repeal passed, the pilot initiative would no longer exist and related funds would not be allocated for those centers.

No committee vote was taken; McGuire said he submitted the repeal for the committee’s consideration and members asked follow-up questions about funding and federal legal exposure.