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H4123 • 2025

An Act relative to the distribution of opioid antagonists at correctional facilities

An Act relative to the distribution of opioid antagonists at correctional facilities

Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
Donaghue, Kate
Last action
2025-10-08
Official status
Accompanied H2606
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

An Act relative to the distribution of opioid antagonists at correctional facilities

An Act relative to the distribution of opioid antagonists at correctional facilities By Representatives Donaghue of Westborough and Vargas of Haverhill, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.

What This Bill Does

  • An Act relative to the distribution of opioid antagonists at correctional facilities By Representatives Donaghue of Westborough and Vargas of Haverhill, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.
  • 4123) of Kate Donaghue and Andres X.
  • Vargas relative to the distribution of opioid antagonists at correctional facilities.
  • Public Safety and Homeland Security.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2025-10-08 House

    Accompanied H2606

  2. 2025-06-20 Joint

    Hearing scheduled for 06/26/2025 from 01:00 PM-05:00 PM in A-2

  3. 2025-05-15 Senate

    Senate concurred

  4. 2025-05-12 House

    Referred to the committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security

Official Summary Text

An Act relative to the distribution of opioid antagonists at correctional facilities
By Representatives Donaghue of Westborough and Vargas of Haverhill, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 4123) of Kate Donaghue and Andres X. Vargas relative to the distribution of opioid antagonists at correctional facilities. Public Safety and Homeland Security.

Current Bill Text

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Bill H.4123

Chapter 126 of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the following section:-

Section 41. (a) For the purposes of section, the following words shall, unless the context clearly requires otherwise, have the following meanings:

“Department”, the department of correction established by section 1 of chapter 27.

“Opioid antagonist”, naloxone or any other drug approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration as a competitive narcotic antagonist used in the reversal of overdoses caused by opioids.

“Pharmacist”, any pharmacist registered in the commonwealth to dispense controlled substances, and including any other person authorized to dispense controlled substances under the supervision of a pharmacist registered in the commonwealth.

(b) Any correctional facility, county correctional facility, state prison, jail or house of correction in the commonwealth shall have a department approved pharmacist or designee distribute 2 doses of opioid antagonists to an incarcerated individual when they are directly released from a correctional facility, county correctional facility, state prison, jail or house of correction.

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