97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2011 and 2012
SB1701

 

Introduced 2/9/2011, by Sen. John J. Millner

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
720 ILCS 570/414 new
720 ILCS 646/115 new

    Amends the Illinois Controlled Substances Act and the Methamphetamine Control and Community Protection Act. Provides that a person who, in good faith, seeks or obtains emergency medical assistance for someone experiencing an overdose shall not be charged or prosecuted for Class 4 felony possession of a controlled, counterfeit, or look-alike substance, a controlled substance analog, or Class 3 felony methamphetamine if evidence for the possession charge was acquired as a result of the person seeking or obtaining emergency medical assistance. Provides that a person who is experiencing an overdose shall not be charged or prosecuted for Class 4 felony possession of a controlled, counterfeit, or look-alike substance, or a controlled substance analog, or in the case of methamphetamine Class 3 felony possession if evidence for the possession charge was acquired as a result of the person seeking or obtaining emergency medical assistance. Provides that the action of seeking or obtaining emergency medical assistance for an overdose may be used as a mitigating factor in a criminal prosecution for Class 3 felony or higher possession, manufacture or delivery of a controlled, counterfeit, or look-alike substance or a controlled substance analog, or in the case of methamphetamine Class 2 felony or higher possession, manufacture or delivery of methamphetamine. Effective immediately.


LRB097 00062 RLC 48160 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

SB1701LRB097 00062 RLC 48160 b

1    AN ACT concerning criminal law, which may be referred to as
2the Emergency Medical Services Access Law.
 
3    WHEREAS, Drug-overdose deaths are the second leading cause
4of accidental deaths in the nation and deaths have increased
5significantly in recent years, in both the Chicago Metropolitan
6Area and across Illinois; and
 
7    WHEREAS, The General Assembly finds that drug-overdose
8deaths could be substantially decreased if immunity from
9criminal prosecution for Class 4 felony violations of the
10Illinois Controlled Substances Act and Class 3 felony
11violations of the Methamphetamine Control and Community
12Protection Act were granted to a person who, in good faith
13seeks emergency medical assistance for someone experiencing a
14drug-related overdose and if this immunity were granted for
15Class 4 felony violations of the Illinois Controlled Substances
16Act and Class 3 felony violations of the Methamphetamine
17Control and Community Protection Act to a person who is
18experiencing a drug-related overdose; therefore
 
19    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
20represented in the General Assembly:
 
21    Section 5. The Illinois Controlled Substances Act is
22amended by adding Section 414 as follows:
 

 

 

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1    (720 ILCS 570/414 new)
2    Sec. 414. Overdose; immunity from prosecution.
3    (a) For the purposes of this Section, "overdose" means a
4controlled substance-induced physiological event that results
5in a life-threatening emergency to the individual who ingested,
6inhaled, injected, or otherwise bodily absorbed a controlled,
7counterfeit, or look-alike substance or a controlled substance
8analog.
9    (b) A person who, in good faith, seeks emergency medical
10assistance for someone experiencing an overdose shall not be
11charged or prosecuted for Class 4 felony possession of a
12controlled, counterfeit, or look-alike substance or a
13controlled substance analog if evidence for the Class 4 felony
14possession charge was acquired as a result of the person
15seeking or obtaining emergency medical assistance.
16    (c) A person who is experiencing an overdose shall not be
17charged or prosecuted for Class 4 felony possession of a
18controlled, counterfeit, or look-alike substance or a
19controlled substance analog if evidence for the Class 4 felony
20possession charge was acquired as a result of the person
21seeking or obtaining emergency medical assistance.
22    (d) The limited immunity described in subsections (b) and
23(c) of this Section shall not be extended if law enforcement
24has reasonable suspicion or probable cause to detain, arrest,
25or search the person described in subsection (b) or (c) of this

 

 

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1Section for criminal activity and the reasonable suspicion or
2probable cause is based on information obtained prior to or
3independent of the individual described in subsection (b) or
4(c) taking action to seek or obtain emergency medical
5assistance and not obtained as a direct result of the action of
6seeking or obtaining emergency medical assistance.
7    (e) The action of seeking or obtaining emergency medical
8assistance for an overdose may be used as a mitigating factor
9in a criminal prosecution for Class 3 felony or higher
10possession, manufacture or delivery of a controlled,
11counterfeit, or look-alike substance or a controlled substance
12analog under this Act.
 
13    Section 10. The Methamphetamine Control and Community
14Protection Act is amended by adding Section 115 as follows:
 
15    (720 ILCS 646/115 new)
16    Sec. 115. Overdose; immunity from prosecution.
17    (a) For the purposes of this Section, "overdose" means a
18methamphetamine-induced physiological event that results in a
19life-threatening emergency to the individual who ingested,
20inhaled, injected, or otherwise bodily absorbed
21methamphetamine.
22    (b) A person who, in good faith, seeks emergency medical
23assistance for someone experiencing an overdose shall not be
24charged or prosecuted for Class 3 felony possession of

 

 

SB1701- 4 -LRB097 00062 RLC 48160 b

1methamphetamine if evidence for the Class 3 felony possession
2charge was acquired as a result of the person seeking or
3obtaining emergency medical assistance.
4    (c) A person who is experiencing an overdose shall not be
5charged or prosecuted for Class 3 felony possession of
6methamphetamine if evidence for the Class 3 felony possession
7charge was acquired as a result of the person seeking or
8obtaining emergency medical assistance.
9    (d) The limited immunity described in subsections (b) and
10(c) of this Section shall not be extended if law enforcement
11has reasonable suspicion or probable cause to detain, arrest,
12or search the person described in subsection (b) or (c) of this
13Section for criminal activity and the reasonable suspicion or
14probable cause is based on information obtained prior to or
15independent of the individual described in subsection (b) or
16(c) taking action to seek or obtain emergency medical
17assistance and not obtained as a direct result of the action of
18seeking or obtaining emergency medical assistance.
19    (e) The action of seeking or obtaining emergency medical
20assistance for an overdose may be used as a mitigating factor
21in a criminal prosecution for Class 2 felony or higher
22possession, manufacture or delivery of methamphetamine under
23this Act.
 
24    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
25becoming law.