The bill amends the Harm Reduction Act to establish an Overdose Prevention Program alongside the existing Harm Reduction Program, aiming to reduce overdose mortality and other negative health outcomes associated with drug use. Key provisions include the requirement for the Department of Health to create and administer the Overdose Prevention Program by January 1, 2027, and to promulgate rules for its establishment by July 1, 2026. The bill also expands the definition of "participant" to include individuals receiving services from both programs and mandates the department to compile data for evaluating the effectiveness of these initiatives.

Additionally, the bill introduces new legal protections to limit civil and criminal liability for individuals and entities acting in good faith under the Harm Reduction Act. This includes immunity from arrest, citation, or prosecution under the Controlled Substances Act, as well as protection from disciplinary actions by professional licensing boards, civil penalties, and immigration enforcement actions. The legislation also clarifies that the operation of facilities providing these services will not be considered a public or private nuisance, thereby encouraging the establishment of harm reduction and overdose prevention services without fear of legal repercussions.

Statutes affected:
introduced version: 24-2C-1, 24-2C-3, 24-2C-4, 24-2C-5