HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3470        FILED ON: 1/17/2025

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 4123

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Kate Donaghue and Andres X. Vargas

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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act relative to the distribution of opioid antagonists at correctional facilities.

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PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

Kate Donaghue

19th Worcester

1/17/2025

Andres X. Vargas

3rd Essex

1/17/2025

Vanna Howard

17th Middlesex

6/3/2025


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3470        FILED ON: 1/17/2025

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 4123

By Representatives Donaghue of Westborough and Vargas of Haverhill, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 4123) of Kate Donaghue and Andres X. Vargas relative to the distribution of opioid antagonists at correctional facilities.  Public Safety and Homeland Security.

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)

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An Act relative to the distribution of opioid antagonists at correctional facilities.

 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

Chapter 126 of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the following section:-

Section 41. (a) For the purposes of section, the following words shall, unless the context clearly requires otherwise, have the following meanings:

“Department”, the department of correction established by section 1 of chapter 27.

“Opioid antagonist”, naloxone or any other drug approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration as a competitive narcotic antagonist used in the reversal of overdoses caused by opioids.

“Pharmacist”, any pharmacist registered in the commonwealth to dispense controlled substances, and including any other person authorized to dispense controlled substances under the supervision of a pharmacist registered in the commonwealth.

(b) Any correctional facility, county correctional facility, state prison, jail or house of correction in the commonwealth shall have a department approved pharmacist or designee distribute 2 doses of opioid antagonists to an incarcerated individual when they are directly released from a correctional facility, county correctional facility, state prison, jail or house of correction.