Bill > S851

This bill, known as the "Good Samaritan Emergency Response Act," aims to protect individuals who seek medical help for drug overdoses by eliminating criminal liability for certain drug-related offenses. Specifically, it prevents people from being arrested, charged, prosecuted, or convicted for possessing, using, or failing to dispose of controlled dangerous substances or controlled substance analogs, as well as for possessing drug paraphernalia or hypodermic needles, if they acted in good faith to obtain medical assistance for someone experiencing a drug overdose. This protection also extends to the person experiencing the overdose if they sought or received medical help. The bill clarifies that a "drug overdose" is an acute condition resulting from substance use that requires medical attention. The protections apply only if the evidence leading to potential charges was obtained as a direct result of seeking medical assistance, and seeking such assistance is also considered a mitigating circumstance in criminal prosecutions for related offenses not covered by immunity, and an affirmative defense for specific offenses.