wa-law.org > bill > 2023-24 > SB 6134 > Original Bill
The department shall work with emergency medical service providers, emergency departments, state and local law enforcement agencies, sheriffs' offices, and coroners to create a system for mapping reported incidents of fatal and nonfatal drug overdoses and synthetic opiate poisonings in Washington state. Emergency departments, state and local law enforcement agencies, sheriffs' offices, and coroners are encouraged to report data not more than 24 hours after the incident or after receiving the incident toxicology report. All incident data must be made available to the department.
The department shall convene stakeholders for the purpose of developing recommendations for the establishment of a Washington state opioid overdose trends review committee responsible for:
Identifying and reviewing fatal and nonfatal drug overdoses in the state of Washington;
Identifying the causes of overdoses and overdose-related deaths, and conducting a review of other factors including, but not limited to, housing status or criminal justice system involvement;
Developing recommendations to address preventable overdose-related deaths, including legislation, policies, areas for scientific research, rules, training, and best practices that support the health and safety of individuals who use substances that may cause overdoses, and prevent overdose-related deaths;
Making annual policy-related and funding-related recommendations to the governor and the legislature about drug trends, including synthetic drugs that may impact the health and well-being of Washingtonians and that present a high risk for causing overdose-related deaths; and
Establishing a process for data sharing between state departments, counties, local health jurisdictions, and other relevant entities in order to access necessary data concerning fatal and nonfatal drug-related overdoses in Washington.
In convening the interested stakeholders pursuant to subsection (1) of this section, the department shall invite a variety of interested stakeholders, including public health experts, physicians, law enforcement, coroners, and persons who have experienced an overdose.
The department shall establish the Washington state opioid overdose trends review committee by September 1, 2026.
The sum of $7,000,000, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, from the general fund to the Washington association of sheriffs and police chiefs for the purpose of administering a grant program for multijurisdictional drug task forces. The Washington association of sheriffs and police chiefs shall require grant recipients to adhere to the same peer review and reporting requirements that existed for recipients of the Edward Byrne memorial justice assistance grant funds as those requirements existed on January 1, 2023. The Washington association of sheriffs and police chiefs may retain up to five percent of the amounts provided in this section for administration of the program.