Skip to Navigation | Skip to Main Content | Skip to Site Map

MyFloridaHouse.gov | Mobile Site

Senate Tracker: Sign Up | Login

The Florida Senate

Track This Bill

View Bill Summary

Glossary of Legislative Terms

SB 278: Preventing Deaths from Drug-related Overdoses

GENERAL BILL by Sachs ; (CO-INTRODUCERS) Hays ; Smith ; Bullard

Preventing Deaths from Drug-related Overdoses; Cites this act as the "911 Good Samaritan Act;" providing that a person acting in good faith who seeks medical assistance for an individual experiencing a drug-related overdose may not be charged, prosecuted, or penalized for specified offenses in certain circumstances; providing that a person who experiences a drug-related overdose and needs medical assistance may not be charged, prosecuted, or penalized for specified offenses in certain circumstances; providing that the protections from prosecution for specified offenses are not grounds for suppression of evidence in other prosecutions; amending mitigating circumstances under which a departure from the lowest permissible criminal sentence is reasonably justified to include circumstances in which a defendant was making a good faith effort to obtain or provide medical assistance for an individual experiencing a drug-related overdose, etc.

Effective Date: 10/1/2012
 Last Action: 4/7/2012 - Chapter No. 2012-36
Bill Text: Web Page | PDF
Senate Committee References:
  1. Criminal Justice (CJ)
  2. Health Regulation (HR)


View By Bill Version View By Category


Bill History

Date Chamber Action
9/19/2011 Senate • Filed
10/4/2011 Senate • Referred to Criminal Justice; Health Regulation -SJ 28
10/20/2011 Senate • On Committee agenda-- Criminal Justice, 11/03/11, 10:30 am, 37 Senate Office Building --Temporarily Postponed
1/9/2012 Senate • On Committee agenda-- Criminal Justice, 01/12/12, 10:15 am, 37 Senate Office Building
1/10/2012 Senate • Introduced -SJ 28
1/12/2012 Senate • Favorable by Criminal Justice; YEAS 6 NAYS 0 -SJ 135
• Now in Health Regulation -SJ 135
1/20/2012 Senate • On Committee agenda-- Health Regulation, 01/25/12, 3:30 pm, 412 Knott Building
1/25/2012 Senate • Favorable by- Health Regulation; YEAS 7 NAYS 0 -SJ 279
1/26/2012 Senate • Placed on Calendar, on 2nd reading -SJ 279
2/2/2012 Senate • Placed on Special Order Calendar, 02/07/12
2/7/2012 Senate • Read 2nd time -SJ 321
• Placed on 3rd reading
2/8/2012 Senate • Read 3rd time -SJ 346
• Passed; YEAS 38 NAYS 0 -SJ 346
2/10/2012 House • In Messages
3/5/2012 House • Referred to Calendar -HJ 1099
• Placed on Special Order Calendar, 03/06/12
• Received -HJ 1099
3/6/2012 House • Read 2nd time -HJ 1117
• Substituted for HB 125 -HJ 1117
• Placed on 3rd reading
3/7/2012 House • Read 3rd time -HJ 1160
• Passed; YEAS 117 NAYS 1 -HJ 1160
3/7/2012 Senate • Ordered enrolled -SJ 958
3/23/2012 • Signed by Officers and presented to Governor
4/6/2012 • Approved by Governor
4/7/2012 • Chapter No. 2012-36