Substance abuse bill passed before session ends

HB 2620 is called the Drug Overdose Monitoring Act and changed several times during its legislative journey.

The bill came to the Senate floor and got as far as second reading on April 7, when it was sent to the Rules Committee to die.

Judiciary chair Charles Trump brought it back out just after 8 pm.

Members thought the bill so important that they voted to suspend the rule to have it read on three separate days and did second and third readings Saturday night, passing it 34-0 at 8:41 p.m.

But then, in the House, the bill sat idle. Frich said it was on top of the stack, but the Hose recessed to caucus on tax measures.

Then, at 11:40 p.m., with 20 minutes to spare, they passed it, 94-0, and sent it to the governor.

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