To provide protections from prosecution for drug possession to individuals who seek medical assistance when witnessing or experiencing an overdose, and for other purposes.
About This Bill
Committee
Latest Action · April 11, 2024
Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
The SEEK HELP Act provides legal protections for individuals who seek medical help during drug overdoses. Specifically, the bill protects people from criminal prosecution and civil liability for drug possession if they call emergency services for themselves or others experiencing an overdose, as long as they act in good faith and are not in the process of being arrested or searched. The bill also protects people who administer overdose reversal drugs like naloxone from civil lawsuits, except in cases involving willful misconduct or gross negligence. To support implementation, the legislation requires the Department of Health and Human Services to conduct a public awareness campaign about these protections and allows states receiving certain federal health grants to use those funds for education and training on Good Samaritan laws. The Government Accountability Office must also submit a report to Congress within two years evaluating how effectively states have implemented these protections and whether awareness campaigns have increased overdose reporting and medical assistance.
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