Drugs, Synthetic or Analogue

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not provide specific details on the extent of immunity beyond removing limits for the first drug overdose.

Expanding Immunity for Drug Overdose Victims

This bill changes Tennessee law to remove limits on immunity from arrest and prosecution for people who seek medical help during a drug overdose.

What This Bill Does

• Removes the limit that only allows immunity for the first drug overdose when seeking medical help.
• Changes Tennessee laws in Titles 50, 53, 63, and 68 related to substance use.

Who It Names or Affects

• People who experience drug overdoses and seek medical help

Terms To Know

Immunity

Protection from being arrested, charged, or prosecuted.

Drug Overdose

When someone takes too much of a drug and needs medical help to survive.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify how many times immunity can be applied after the first overdose.
• It is unclear if this change will increase people's willingness to seek help during an overdose.

Official Summary Text

Present law
prohibits a
person who is experiencing a drug overdose and who in good faith seeks medical assistance for or is the subject of a request for medical assistance
from
be
ing
arrested, charged, or prosecuted for a drug violation if the evidence for the arrest,
charge, or prosecution of the drug violation resulted from seeking such medical assistance.

Present law provides that t
his immunity
applies
to
a
person experiencing a drug overdose on the person's first drug overdose
and that
the responding law enforcem
ent officer or the district attorney general's offic
e may apply such
immunity
to a
person
's
subsequent drug overdose at the
ir
discretion.
This bill expands the immunity to more than just the first drug overdose by removing these provisions.

Current Bill Text

SENATE BILL 465
By Gardenhire

HOUSE BILL 464
By Helton-Haynes

HB0464
002191
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 50;
Title 53; Title 63 and Title 68, relative to substance
use.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 63-1-156(b), is amended by deleting
the language "This immunity from being arrested, charged, or prosecuted shall apply to the
person experiencing a drug overdose on the person's first such drug overdose. This immunity
from being arrested, charged, or prosecuted may be applied if the person experiences
subsequent drug overdoses at the discretion of the responding law enforcement officer or the
district attorney general's office.".
SECTION 2. This act takes effect July 1, 2025, the public welfare requiring it.