CS/HB 91

1
A bill to be entitled
2An act relating to drug-related overdoses; providing a
3short title; creating s. 893.21, F.S.; providing that a
4person acting in good faith who seeks medical assistance
5for an individual experiencing a drug-related overdose may
6not be charged, prosecuted, or penalized for specified
7offenses in certain circumstances; providing that a person
8who experiences a drug-related overdose and needs medical
9assistance may not be charged, prosecuted, or penalized
10for specified offenses in certain circumstances; providing
11that the protections from prosecution for specified
12offenses are not grounds for suppression of evidence in
13other prosecutions; amending s. 921.0026, F.S.; amending
14mitigating circumstances under which a departure from the
15lowest permissible criminal sentence is reasonably
16justified to include circumstances in which a defendant
17was making a good faith effort to obtain or provide
18medical assistance for an individual experiencing a drug-
19related overdose; providing an effective date.
20
21     WHEREAS, some research suggests that in a majority of cases
22of fatal drug overdose another person was aware of or present
23during the decedent's fatal drug use and that in one third of
24the cases someone recognized the decedent's distress, and
25     WHEREAS, many people cite fear of police involvement or
26fear of arrest as their primary reason for not seeking immediate
27help for a person thought to be experiencing a drug overdose,
28and
29     WHEREAS, it is in the public interest to encourage a person
30who is aware of or present during another individual's drug
31overdose to seek medical assistance for that individual, NOW,
32THEREFORE,
33
34Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
35
36     Section 1.  This act may be cited as the "911 Good
37Samaritan Act."
38     Section 2.  Section 893.21, Florida Statutes, is created to
39read:
40     893.21  Drug-related overdoses; medical assistance;
41immunity from prosecution.-
42     (1)  A person acting in good faith who seeks medical
43assistance for an individual experiencing a drug-related
44overdose may not be charged, prosecuted, or penalized pursuant
45to this chapter for possession of a controlled substance if the
46evidence for possession of a controlled substance was obtained
47as a result of the person's seeking medical assistance.
48     (2)  A person who experiences a drug-related overdose and
49is in need of medical assistance may not be charged, prosecuted,
50or penalized pursuant to this chapter for possession of a
51controlled substance if the evidence for possession of a
52controlled substance was obtained as a result of the overdose
53and the need for medical assistance.
54     (3)  Protection in this section from prosecution for
55possession offenses under this chapter may not be grounds for
56suppression of evidence in other criminal prosecutions.
57     Section 3.  Paragraph (n) is added to subsection (2) of
58section 921.0026, Florida Statutes, to read:
59     921.0026  Mitigating circumstances.-This section applies to
60any felony offense, except any capital felony, committed on or
61after October 1, 1998.
62     (2)  Mitigating circumstances under which a departure from
63the lowest permissible sentence is reasonably justified include,
64but are not limited to:
65     (n)  The defendant was making a good faith effort to obtain
66or provide medical assistance for an individual experiencing a
67drug-related overdose.
68     Section 4.  This act shall take effect October 1, 2011.


CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.