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Nathalia Fernandez

Sponsor · State Senator, District 34 · Democratic

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Senate bill · S56 (2025-26)

Establishes a drug checking program

Latest action May 12, 2026

Summary

Establishes through the department of health a drug checking services program to allow individuals to bring drugs or controlled substances and have them tested for contaminants, toxic substances, or hazardous compounds; requires the department to establish public health surveillance of the unregulated drug supply; provides exemptions for participants in the drug checking program from certain controlled substance offenses.

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Where it stands

Passed one of the two chambers; it still needs the other.

  1. Introduced
  2. In committee
  3. Up for a vote
  4. Passed one chamber
  5. Passed
  6. Enacted

New York State Senate

Same as A808, the matching bill in the Assembly.

Amends the Public Health Law.

Committee

Health · New York State Assembly

Also referred to Health · New York State Senate, Ways and Means · New York State Assembly.

Purpose, from the sponsor's memo

To create a drug checking services program to assist individuals in determining whether a drug or controlled substance contains contam- inants, toxic substances, or hazardous compounds.

Filed with the bill. Read it on nysenate.gov (opens in a new tab)

Recorded votes

  • Vote: Floor vote

    NY SenateMay 12, 2026Result: passed

    (35) (25) (0) (3)

  • Vote: Committee vote · Finance

    Senate FinanceMar 24, 2026Result: passed

    (16) (6) (0) (0)

  • Vote: Committee vote · Health

    Senate HealthFeb 4, 2026Result: passed

    (8) (6) (0) (1)

  • Vote: Floor vote

    NY SenateJun 9, 2025Result: passed

    (37) (25) (0) (1)

  • Vote: Committee vote · Rules

    Senate RulesMay 29, 2025Result: passed

    (13) (7) (0) (1)

  • Vote: Committee vote · Health

    Senate HealthApr 29, 2025Result: passed

    (9) (5) (0) (0)

Cosponsors

Al Taylor, Alex Bores and 27 more on Agora

  • Democratic29
Show all 29 on Agora
See the full list on nysenate.gov (opens in a new tab)

The sponsor's argument

Why Nathalia Fernandez says this is needed

New York is in the middle of an overdose epidemic. For the past few years, New York has exceeded national rates of opioid overdose deaths with over 30 individuals per 100,000 dying from drug overdoses. The amount of opioid deaths grew almost 300% between 2010 and 2020, effec- tively responsible for 85% of all drug overdose deaths in New York in 2020. In 2017 the CDC published a findings report of the state-level economic costs of opioid use disorder and fatal opioid overdoses. It found opioid use disorder has cost New York State an estimated $22.7 million, and fatal opioid overdoses costing $37.2 million, totalling to a combined 60 million in losses. On a national scale, New York's opioid crisis accounts for $19.3 million relating to healthcare costs and $7.5 million in lost productivity of the country's opioid crisis.* Since 2017, the opioid crisis has been intensified by substances such as fentanyl and xylazine being mixed with opioids. Some of these compounds do not react to life-saving opioid antagonists like naloxone. To save lives, and mitigate the crisis, it is necessary to start with knowing what substances an individual may be coming in contact with. This bill serves as the first step in combating this health and econom- ical issue. To be able to cut back on these exorbitant costs made by the opioid crisis, preliminary steps must be made first. This means decreas- ing the amount of deaths occuring due to the influx of fentanyl and xylazine by conducting drug checks. In addition, this bill will allow individuals to test their drugs, without fear of retribution or criminal justice outcomes, allowing them to make informed decisions about drug use. *Luo F, Li M, Florence C. State-Level Economic Costs of Opioid Use Disorder and Fatal Opioid Overdose - United States, 2017. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2021;70:541-546. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7015a1

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.

Full history

  1. May 12, 2026

    Sent to the executive

    DELIVERED TO ASSEMBLY

    NY Senate

  2. May 12, 2026

    Passed a chamber

    PASSED SENATE

    NY Senate

  3. May 12, 2026

    Referred to committee

    REFERRED TO WAYS AND MEANS

    NY Assembly

  4. Mar 26, 2026

    Advanced to Third Reading

    ADVANCED TO THIRD READING

    NY Senate

  5. Mar 25, 2026

    2ND Report CAL.

    2ND REPORT CAL.

    NY Senate

Show full history (19 earlier events)
  1. Mar 24, 2026

    1ST Report CAL.586

    1ST REPORT CAL.586

    NY Senate

  2. Feb 4, 2026

    Reported out of committee

    REPORTED AND COMMITTED TO FINANCE

    NY Senate

  3. Jan 7, 2026

    Died in Assembly

    DIED IN ASSEMBLY

    NY Assembly

  4. Jan 7, 2026

    Referred to committee

    REFERRED TO HEALTH

    NY Senate

  5. Jan 7, 2026

    Referred to committee

    REFERRED TO WAYS AND MEANS

    NY Assembly

  6. Jun 9, 2025

    Sent to the executive

    DELIVERED TO ASSEMBLY

    NY Senate

  7. Jun 9, 2025

    Passed a chamber

    PASSED SENATE

    NY Senate

  8. Jun 9, 2025

    Referred to committee

    REFERRED TO WAYS AND MEANS

    NY Assembly

  9. May 29, 2025

    In committee

    COMMITTEE DISCHARGED AND COMMITTED TO RULES

    NY Senate

  10. May 29, 2025

    Ordered to Third Reading CAL.1456

    ORDERED TO THIRD READING CAL.1456

    NY Senate

  11. May 19, 2025

    Reported out of committee

    REPORTED REFERRED TO WAYS AND MEANS

    NY Assembly

  12. Apr 29, 2025

    Reported out of committee

    REPORTED AND COMMITTED TO FINANCE

    NY Senate

  13. Mar 27, 2025

    Amend and Recommit to Health

    AMEND AND RECOMMIT TO HEALTH

    NY Assembly

  14. Mar 24, 2025

    Amend and Recommit to Health

    AMEND AND RECOMMIT TO HEALTH

    NY Senate

  15. Mar 24, 2025

    Amend and Recommit to Health

    AMEND AND RECOMMIT TO HEALTH

    NY Assembly

  16. Mar 7, 2025

    Amend and Recommit to Health

    AMEND AND RECOMMIT TO HEALTH

    NY Assembly

  17. Jan 13, 2025

    Amend and Recommit to Health

    AMEND AND RECOMMIT TO HEALTH

    NY Senate

  18. Jan 8, 2025

    Referred to committee

    REFERRED TO HEALTH

    NY Senate

  19. Jan 8, 2025

    Referred to committee

    REFERRED TO HEALTH

    NY Assembly

About this record

Summary

The summary comes from NY Open Legislation, the New York State Senate's public record. For more, see How we handle summaries.

Cosponsors

The list shows the cosponsors who are on Agora, A to Z. The official record may list more.

Party colors

Parties are shown in the same neutral colors.

Source

From NY Open Legislation, the NY Senate and Assembly, and official rosters. This record was last updated Oct 30, 2026. About our data

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