Establishes the crime of criminal sale of a controlled substance resulting in death

◆ The sponsor's argument

Why Robert Rolison says this is needed

The opioid epidemic that our country is facing and that our local commu- nities are dealing with every day, is becoming more and more deadly with the increasing prevalence of Fentanyl and Xylazine. These substances are often mixed in with other illicit substances to increase potency while keeping costs down. This increased potency has exacerbated the opioid crisis. As a result, overdose deaths across the state and country have significantly increased due to the presence of Fentanyl and Xylazine in various drugs. Currently, it is very difficult for prosecutors to hold dealers account- able for the deaths they are causing. At the federal level the dealers can be charged for this crime, but often times federal prosecutors elect not to go after these lower level dealers. This bill would give the same tools that federal prosecutors have to our state and local officials so they can hold these dealers accountable for the deaths they cause. Those that sell these drugs know how dangerous they are and when the substances they sell result in the death of someone else, the dealers should be held responsible for that death.

This is the sponsor's own case for the bill, quoted from their memorandum. It is not Agora's description of what the bill does.