North Dakota Senate approves bill to address fentanyl epidemic

BISMARCK — The North Dakota Senate gave unanimous approval Thursday, Feb. 16, to a invoice that goals to punish high-level drug sellers, together with these tied to overdose deaths.

Senate Invoice 2248 would make it a Class A felony to provide a drug to somebody who dies or is severely injured on account of consuming the drug. That stage felony carries a most punishment of 20 years in jail. The invoice additionally requires regulation enforcement and well being care suppliers to report yearly deaths which might be associated to fentanyl consumption.

As well as, the invoice creates an opioid settlement fund within the state treasury that consists of opioid litigation funds obtained by the state. Sen. Mike Dwyer, R-Bismarck, mentioned the lawyer basic estimates that North Dakota will obtain about $30 million from opioid litigation settlements within the subsequent biennium.

The invoice designates $1.5 million of these funds to the Division of Well being and Human Providers for use for increasing consciousness of the fentanyl epidemic.

The invoice advances to the Home for consideration.