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Senate backs tighter access to treatment records for opioid fatality review
Summary
Senate passage of SB96 clarifies that the medical examiner's opioid fatality review can use treatment records to learn from fatal cases, a sponsor said, to prevent future overdoses; the bill passed unanimously in the Senate and proceeds to the House.
The Senate approved first substitute SB96 after sponsor Senator Plumb described the bill as clarifying how treatment records may be used in the medical examiner's opioid fatality review process.
"This allows our opioid fatality review process that happens within the office of the medical examiner to feel that they have clarity to use treatment records from folks that we've, unfortunately lost," Senator Plumb said, adding the goal is to learn from deaths and reduce future harm.
Plumb said the measure resulted from a National Conference of State Legislatures project and stakeholder work and that the change is intended to help investigators identify systemic failures and potential interventions. The roll call on third reading recorded 23 yea votes, 0 nay votes, and 6 absences.
Supporters characterized the bill as a targeted technical fix to improve public‑health learning from fatalities; there was no extended floor debate and the measure will be sent to the House.
