House Republican Caucus Bill Initiated by Rep. Hall Advances Out of Public Safety Committee

HARTFORD – A bill concept championed for several years by State Representative Carol Hall (R-59) to assist individuals who have become incapacitated as a result of drugs, has been voted out of the Public Safety Committee thanks to bipartisan support for the issue.

HB-6851, An Act Concerning Emergency Intervention by a Police Officer When a Person is Incapacitated by Drugs or Due to a Medical Emergency, put forth previously by Representative Hall, comes at the request of the current Enfield Police Chief, the department’s previous chief, deputy chiefs, and officers in the field.

The intent of the bill is to provide responding law enforcement officers with the discretion to have an individual transported to either a hospital for emergency examination or a treatment facility after the individual has been given Narcan, a drug that reverses the effects of an overdose.

“I have worked extremely hard on this bill over the years and while it has undergone several iterations, I’m happy that we’ve been able to move this forward with the input from Chief Fox and so many others who were instrumental in the process,” Rep. Hall said. “By updating our state statutes to include these measures, we are taking important steps to expedite lifesaving services to those in need with the ultimate goal of saving lives.”

Last month, Enfield Police Chief Alaric Fox testified in front of the committee on the importance of instituting this measure as a means to break the cycle of addiction. In his testimony, he stated “we literally cajole these individuals that moments before were approaching death to go to the ER voluntarily, and when they say no, we look at them and effectively say good luck and send them on their way.”

The bill will now be sent to the floor of the House of Representatives for further action.

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