Representative Kate Donahue told the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security that House Bill 4,123 would require Department of Correction and county facilities to provide naloxone, also known as Narcan, to individuals discharged from substance-use disorder treatment or correctional custody.

Donahue said research shows people recently released from incarceration face a substantially higher risk of opioid overdose — testimony noted a frequently cited finding that risk is roughly ten times greater than the general population — and argued distributing naloxone when people reenter the community would save lives. She framed the proposal as consistent with an existing provision requiring Narcan be provided to individuals leaving rehabilitation programs.

“Providing Narcan to returning citizens, regardless of their drug usage, will benefit those currently struggling with substance use disorder and increase the availability of this life saving medication in our communities,” Donahue said, and noted that bystanders or family members can use naloxone until emergency services arrive.

Committee members praised Donahue's statewide leadership on overdose prevention. Barnstable County Sheriff Donna Buckley later spoke on a separate item but did not oppose the Narcan testimony presented by Donahue. The transcript contains no committee vote or formal direction on H4123 during the hearing.

Supporters requested a favorable report so the bill can move to subsequent legislative steps.