N.J. Senate OKs bill that would protect people who call 911 to report drug overdoses from arrest
Under a bill passed by the Senate on Monday, people who call 911 to report a drug overdose would be protected against arrest or prosecution.
The bill, called the “Good Samaritan Emergency Response Act,” already passed the Assembly 67 to 8. The Senate approved it, without debate, by a vote of 21 to 10. It now heads to Governor Christie to sign into law or veto.
The law would protect “a person who, in good faith, seeks medical assistance for someone experiencing a drug overdose” from arrest or prosecution related to the drug abuse by treating the person’s actions as a “mitigating factor in a prosecution for other drug-related offenses.” It gives the same protection to the drug users themselves. (Linhorst, The Record)