Good Samaritan Assessment Act of 2016

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The expanded summary of the House reported version is repeated here.)

Good Samaritan Assessment Act of 2016

(Sec. 3) This bill requires the Government Accountability Office to submit a report about the Office of National Drug Control Policy's (ONDCP's) review of state and local Good Samaritan laws that exempt from criminal or civil liability any individual who administers an opioid overdose reversal drug or device or who contacts emergency services providers in response to an overdose. The report must: (1) address the extent to which the ONDCP has reviewed such Good Samaritan laws, including any findings related to the potential effects of such laws; (2) describe the ONDCP's efforts to encourage enactment of such laws; and (3) provide a compilation of such Good Samaritan laws in effect in states.

(Sec. 4) For purposes of the report, "opioid" means any drug, including heroin, having an addiction-forming or addiction-sustaining liability similar to morphine or being capable of conversion into a drug having such addiction-forming or addiction-sustaining liability.

[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5048 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






114th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5048

 To require a study by the Comptroller General of the United States on 
Good Samaritan laws that pertain to treatment of opioid overdoses, and 
                          for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 26, 2016

  Mr. Guinta introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                       Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To require a study by the Comptroller General of the United States on 
Good Samaritan laws that pertain to treatment of opioid overdoses, and 
                          for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Good Samaritan Assessment Act of 
2016''.

SEC. 2. FINDING.

    The Congress finds that the executive branch, including the Office 
of National Drug Control Policy, has a policy focus on preventing and 
addressing prescription drug misuse and heroin use, and has worked with 
States and municipalities to enact Good Samaritan laws that would 
protect caregivers, law enforcement personnel, and first responders who 
administer opioid overdose reversal drugs or devices.

SEC. 3. GAO STUDY ON GOOD SAMARITAN LAWS PERTAINING TO TREATMENT OF 
              OPIOID OVERDOSES.

    The Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the 
Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives, the 
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of the House of 
Representatives, the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate, and the 
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate a 
report on--
            (1) the extent to which the Director of National Drug 
        Control Policy has reviewed Good Samaritan laws, and any 
        findings from such a review, including findings related to the 
        potential effects of such laws, if available;
            (2) efforts by the Director to encourage the enactment of 
        Good Samaritan laws; and
            (3) a compilation of Good Samaritan laws in effect in the 
        States, the territories, and the District of Columbia.

SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act--
            (1) the term ``Good Samaritan law'' means a law of a State 
        or unit of local government that exempts from criminal or civil 
        liability any individual who administers an opioid overdose 
        reversal drug or device, or who contacts emergency services 
        providers in response to an overdose; and
            (2) the term ``opioid'' means any drug, including heroin, 
        having an addiction-forming or addiction-sustaining liability 
        similar to morphine or being capable of conversion into a drug 
        having such addiction-forming or addiction-sustaining 
        liability.
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