HB5010 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB095 17483 DRJ 43557 b

95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2007 and 2008
HB5010

Introduced , by Rep. David E. Miller

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

New Act

Creates the Drug Overdose Prevention Act. Authorizes the Director of the Department of Human Services Division of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse to publish an annual report on drug overdose trends statewide. Authorizes the Director to establish a program to provide for the production and publication, in electronic and other formats, of drug overdose prevention, recognition, and response literature and to provide advice to State and local officials on the growing drug overdose crisis, including the prevalence of drug overdose incidents, trends in drug overdose incidents, and solutions to the drug overdose crisis. Authorizes the Director to award grants to create or support local drug overdose prevention, recognition, and response projects; authorizes local health departments, correctional institutions, and community-based organizations to apply for the grants. Sets forth criteria for awarding grants. Effective immediately.

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

A BILL FOR

AN ACT in relation to health.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Drug Overdose Prevention Act.

Section 5. Definitions. In this Act:

"Opioid antagonist" means naloxone hydrochloride or any other similarly acting and equally safe drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of drug overdose.

"Department" means the Department of Human Services Division of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse.

"Director" means the Director of the Department of Human Services Division of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse.

"Health care professional" means a physician licensed to practice medicine in all its branches, a physician assistant who has been delegated the provision of health services by his or her supervising physician, or an advanced practice registered nurse who has a written collaborative agreement with a collaborating physician that authorizes the provision of health services.

Section 10. Reports of drug overdose.

(a) The Director may publish annually a report on drug overdose trends statewide that reviews State death rates from available data to ascertain changes in the causes or rates of fatal and nonfatal drug overdose for the preceding period of not less than 5 years. The report shall also provide information on interventions that would be effective in reducing the rate of fatal or nonfatal drug overdose.

(b) The report shall include:

(1) Trends in drug overdose death rates.

(2) Trends in emergency room utilization related to drug overdoses and the cost impact of emergency room utilization.

(3) Trends in utilization of pre-hospital and emergency services and the cost impact of emergency services utilization.

(4) Suggested improvements in data collection.

(5) A description of other interventions effective in reducing the rate of fatal or nonfatal drug overdoses.

Section 15. Programs; drug overdose prevention.

(a) The Director may establish a program to provide for the production and publication, in electronic and other formats, of drug overdose prevention, recognition, and response literature. The Director may develop and disseminate curricula for use by professionals, organizations, individuals, or committees interested in the prevention of fatal and nonfatal drug overdose, including, but not limited to, drug users, jail and prison personnel, jail and prison inmates, drug treatment professionals, emergency medical personnel, hospital staff, families and associates of drug users, peace officers, firefighters, public safety officers, needle exchange program staff, and other persons. In addition to information regarding drug overdose prevention, recognition and response, literature produced by the Department shall stress that drug use remains illegal and highly dangerous and that complete abstinence from illegal drug use is the healthiest choice and shall provide information and resources for substance abuse treatment.

(b) The Director may provide advice to State and local officials on the growing drug overdose crisis, including the prevalence of drug overdose incidents, trends in drug overdose incidents, and solutions to the drug overdose crisis.

Section 20. Grants.

(a) The Director may award grants, in accordance with this Section, to create or support local drug overdose prevention, recognition, and response projects. Local health departments, correctional institutions, and community-based organizations may apply to the Department for a grant pursuant to this Section at the time and in the manner the Director prescribes.

(b) In awarding grants, the Director shall consider the necessity for overdose prevention projects in various settings and shall encourage all grant applicants to develop interventions that will be effective and viable in their local areas.

(c) The Director shall give preference for grants to proposals that, in addition to providing life-saving interventions and responses, provide information to drug users on how to access drug treatment or other strategies for abstaining from illegal drugs. The Director shall give preference to proposals that include one or more of the following elements:

(1) Policies and projects to encourage persons, including drug users, to call 9-1-1 when they witness a potentially fatal drug overdose.

(2) Drug overdose prevention, recognition, and response education projects in jails, prisons, drug treatment centers, outreach programs, and other organizations that work with, or have access to, drug users and their families and communities.

(3) Drug overdose recognition and response training, including rescue breathing, in jails, prisons, drug treatment centers, and other organizations that work with, or have access to, drug users and their families and communities.

(4) The production and distribution of targeted or mass media materials on drug overdose prevention and response.

(5) Naloxone hydrochloride prescription or distribution projects.

(6) The institution of education and training projects on drug overdose response and treatment for emergency services and law enforcement personnel.

(7) A system of parent, family, and survivor education and mutual support groups.

(c) In addition to funds appropriated by the General Assembly, the Director may seek grants from private foundations, the federal government, and other sources to fund the grants under this Section and to fund an evaluation of the programs supported by the grants.

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.