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Hearing on HB 1574 spotlights expanded Good Samaritan protections, but prosecutors and law enforcement urge narrower language
Summary
Witnesses split on Engrossed House Bill 15-74: public-health experts and harm-reduction advocates supported expanding Good Samaritan protections and allowing some healthcare facilities to distribute supplies, while prosecutors and sheriffs’ associations urged the Legislature to narrow the bill’s language.
The Law & Justice Committee heard competing views on Engrossed House Bill 15-74, which would expand Good Samaritan protections for people who seek medical attention during a drug-related overdose and clarify that certain healthcare facilities may provide public-health supplies such as syringes and testing equipment.
Joe McKittrick, staff counsel, briefed the committee that the bill would extend existing protections so a person who in good faith seeks medical attention for themselves or another person would not be arrested, charged, prosecuted, or convicted for possession of a controlled substance and would be protected from certain penalties (including some probation or parole violations and failing to appear) tied to simple possession or use when the interaction arises from seeking care. The bill also…
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