Date: 2016-05-10
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of H.R. 5048. the "Good Samaritan Assessment Act of 2016." Our nation currently faces epidemic levels of opioid drug users and addicts. with a corresponding increase in the number of opioid drug overdoses and deaths. According to the Centers for Disease Control. drug overdose death rates more than doubled between1999 and 2014. Each day. more than 100 Americans die as a result of an overdose. making drug overdoses the leading cause of death in the United States. Compounding this tragedy is the fact that many of these deaths could have been prevented if the victim had received emergency medical treatment. Opioid reversal drugs such as Naloxone have proven effective in reversing opioid drug overdoses and reviving victims. But a victims chances of surviving an overdose can depend on how quickly medical assistance is received. Those closest to a victimfamily. friends. or other drug usersare commonly the first to become aware that an individual is suffering an overdose and needs emergency medical assistance. Their prompt call to 911 can mean the difference between life and death. Similarly. first responders or other persons serving as caregivers to individuals with drug problems are often in the best position to promptly administer a reversal drug. However. such lifesaving assistance may not be made available in time if a witness to an overdose delays or fails to call 911. or a caregiver or first responder does not promptly administer an overdose reversal drug or device. due to fear that they might be prosecuted or otherwise held responsible for their involvement. or held liable if something goes wrong. To encourage people to seek medical attention for someone suffering an overdose. and to have first responders trained. equipped. and able to administer opioid reversal drugs or devices. states and localities need to enact Good Samaritan laws that protect from criminal or civil liability individuals who seek or provide lifesaving assistance in drug overdose situations. In 2013. only ten states and the District of Columbia had such drug overdose Good Samaritan laws. The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) has been working with states and municipalities to enact Good Samaritan laws providing protections to individuals who call for emergency assistance and first responders. law enforcement personnel. and caregivers who administer opioid reversal drugs or devices. Thanks in part to ONDCPs efforts. 35 states and the District of Columbia now have some form of Good Samaritan or emergency drug treatment immunity law. Under this bill. the General Accounting Office would provide the appropriate House and Senate committees with a report on the results of ONDCPs work. as well as a compilation of the various Good Samaritan laws currently in effect. While the report will not take a position on any formulation of such laws. this information will be helpful to Congress and the states in cataloging and understanding the various approaches states are taking with respect to this issue. With more information. we can make better decisions and adopt the best approach. Therefore. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5048.