State lawmakers on Wednesday unveiled a new omnibus measure aimed at curbing the opioid epidemic in North Carolina.
The bill, which will be Senate Bill 616 when it's introduced in the House Health Committee on Thursday, is titled the HOPE Act and is largely focused on law enforcement. Sponsors say it's the sequel to 2017's STOP Act, which was more focused on medical providers and treatment.
Other WRAL Top Stories
The proposal was announced at a press conference attended by Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein, who supports it, as well as law enforcement leaders and doctors.
One of the main provisions creates a new crime in state law called "death by distribution." It would be a Class C felony, carrying prison time. Pender County Sheriff Carson Smith Jr., president of the North Carolina Sheriffs' Association, called that "huge."
"It used to be, if we wanted to charge somebody with murder, one of the big hurdles we had was, in murder, you had to have the malice," Smith said. "In this new law, should it go in, we'll be able to charge somebody with killing somebody because they sold them dope and they died, and we don't have to prove malice – and I think that's a great thing."
"The dealers – the people who are out there pushing this stuff, who walk away often scot-free – are now going to pay the price, too," agreed Rep. Craig Horn, R-Union. "We’re tired of this. We're all tired of this."
The bill would also make it a felony for EMS personnel or home health aides to steal drugs from a patient and a higher-level felony to dilute or substitute a patient's prescribed opioid drugs in order to steal some. It would require veterinarians to use the state's Controlled Substance Records System, which tracks prescriptions for opioids and the patients receiving them.
"We have to seal every door and stem every breach," said Rep. Greg Murphy, R-Pitt, a physician.
Another provision would create a new certification program for drug "diversion investigators." Those certified would be allowed to access the state's Controlled Substance Records System to more quickly detect patterns of fraud.
High Point Police Chief Kenneth Shultz said it would allow his agency to respond in real time when gangs move through the area with fake prescriptions. The legislation would make it a felony for anyone to misuse or abuse the confidential patient information in that database.
It also includes $1 million in additional funding for naloxone, which is used to treat overdoses, for local law enforcement agencies.