Bill > SB174

This bill establishes a Drug Overdose Fatality Review Commission, similar to existing commissions that review child deaths and domestic violence fatalities, to examine the circumstances surrounding deaths caused by prescription opioid, fentanyl, or heroin overdoses in Delaware. The Commission will be composed of state officials, including the Attorney General and the Secretary of Health and Social Services, as well as appointed representatives from medical and law enforcement organizations and non-profit advocates. The Commission will have the power to administer oaths and compel witness testimony and the production of records related to overdose deaths, though investigations involving criminal proceedings will be delayed until those proceedings are concluded. All records and proceedings of the Commission and its regional review teams will be confidential, and members will be immune from liability for good-faith actions taken in their official capacity. The bill also amends existing law to ensure that the essential facts concerning the medical causes of overdose deaths are communicated to the Delaware Department of Justice. The Commission's primary goal is to make recommendations to the Governor and General Assembly on how to prevent future overdose deaths.