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Rhode Island House Bill H5171

Rhode Island 2025 Regular Session

Rhode Island House Bill H5171 Compare Versions

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99 S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D
1010 IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
1111 JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2025
1212 ____________
1313
1414 A N A C T
1515 RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- HARM REDUCTION CENTER ADV ISORY
1616 COMMITTEE AND PILOT PROGRAM
1717 Introduced By: Representatives Edwards, Craven, Potter, Caldwell, Kislak, Bennett,
1818 Ajello, Batista, McEntee, and Kazarian
1919 Date Introduced: January 24, 2025
2020 Referred To: House Health & Human Services
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2222
2323 It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
2424 SECTION 1. The title of Chapter 23-12.10 of the General Laws entitled "Harm Reduction 1
2525 Center Advisory Committee and Pilot Program." is hereby amended to read as follows: 2
2626 CHAPTER 23-12.10 3
2727 Harm Reduction Center Advisory Committee and Pilot Program. [Expires March 1, 2026.] 4
2828 CHAPTER 23-12.10 5
2929 HARM REDUCTION CENTER ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND PROGRAM 6
30-SECTION 2. Sections 23-12.10-1 and 23-12.10-6 of the General Laws in Chapter 23-12.10 7
31-entitled "Harm Reduction Center Advisory Committee and Pilot Program." are hereby amended to 8
32-read as follows: 9
33-23-12.10-1. Purpose and creation — Municipal authorization required. 10
34-(a) The purpose of this chapter is to authorize a four-year (4) pilot program to prevent drug 11
35-overdoses through the establishment of “harm reduction centers,” which, as used in this chapter, 12
36-shall be defined as a community-based resource for health screening, disease prevention, and 13
37-recovery assistance where persons may safely consume pre-obtained substances. Smoking of pre-14
38-obtained substances shall also be permitted within the harm reduction center. 15
39-(b) Each harm reduction center shall provide the necessary healthcare professionals to 16
40-prevent overdose, and shall provide referrals for counseling or other medical treatment that may be 17
41-appropriate for persons utilizing the harm reduction center. 18
30+SECTION 2. Section 23-12.10-1 of the General Laws in Chapter 23-12.10 entitled "Harm 7
31+Reduction Center Advisory Committee and Pilot Program." is hereby amended to read as follows: 8
32+23-12.10-1. Purpose and creation — Municipal authorization required. 9
33+(a) The purpose of this chapter is to authorize a four-year (4) pilot permanent program to 10
34+prevent drug overdoses through the establishment of “harm reduction centers,” which, as used in 11
35+this chapter, shall be defined as a community-based resource for health screening, disease 12
36+prevention, and recovery assistance where persons may safely consume pre-obtained substances. 13
37+Smoking of pre-obtained substances shall also be permitted within the harm reduction center. 14
38+(b) Each harm reduction center shall provide the necessary healthcare professionals to 15
39+prevent overdose, and shall provide referrals for counseling or other medical treatment that may be 16
40+appropriate for persons utilizing the harm reduction center. 17
41+(c) The director of the department of health shall promulgate regulations to authorize the 18
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45-(c) The director of the department of health shall promulgate regulations to authorize the 1
46-program established by this chapter, and in accordance with § 23-12.10-5. Nothing contained in 2
47-this section authorizes a harm reduction center without approval of the municipality in which the 3
48-center is proposed. 4
49-(d)(1) Any harm reduction center proposed to be operated pursuant to the provisions of this 5
50-chapter shall require municipal authorization and approval prior to opening or operating in any 6
51-community within this state. 7
52-(2) As used in this chapter, the term “municipal authorization and approval” means an 8
53-express affirmative vote by the city or town council, or the equivalent governing body, of any 9
54-municipality where a harm reduction center is proposed to be located, which affirmative vote 10
55-approves: 11
56-(i) The opening and operation of the proposed harm reduction center; 12
57-(ii) The exact location of the proposed harm reduction center, which shall include street 13
58-address and plat and lot number or other applicable number as used by the municipality’s tax 14
59-assessor; and 15
60-(iii) An express authorization as to the hours of operation of the proposed harm reduction 16
61-center. 17
62-(e) Each harm reduction center approved for operation pursuant to the provisions of this 18
63-chapter shall cease operations on or before March 1, 2026, unless an act of the general assembly 19
64-expressly authorizes the continuation of the operation of the harm reduction center. 20
65-23-12.10-6. Sunset. 21
66-On or before January 31, 2026 2028, the director of the department of health and the 22
67-attorney general shall submit to the governor, the speaker of the house, and the president of the 23
68-senate, recommendations as to continuation of the provisions of this chapter, and unless extended 24
69-by the general assembly, the provisions of this chapter shall sunset and expire on March 1, 2026 25
70-2028. 26
71-SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage. 27
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45+program established by this chapter, and in accordance with § 23-12.10-5. Nothing contained in 1
46+this section authorizes a harm reduction center without approval of the municipality in which the 2
47+center is proposed. 3
48+(d)(1) Any harm reduction center proposed to be operated pursuant to the provisions of this 4
49+chapter shall require municipal authorization and approval prior to opening or operating in any 5
50+community within this state. 6
51+(2) As used in this chapter, the term “municipal authorization and approval” means an 7
52+express affirmative vote by the city or town council, or the equivalent governing body, of any 8
53+municipality where a harm reduction center is proposed to be located, which affirmative vote 9
54+approves: 10
55+(i) The opening and operation of the proposed harm reduction center; 11
56+(ii) The exact location of the proposed harm reduction center, which shall include street 12
57+address and plat and lot number or other applicable number as used by the municipality’s tax 13
58+assessor; and 14
59+(iii) An express authorization as to the hours of operation of the proposed harm reduction 15
60+center. 16
61+(e) Each harm reduction center approved for operation pursuant to the provisions of this 17
62+chapter shall cease operations on or before March 1, 2026, unless an act of the general assembly 18
63+expressly authorizes the continuation of the operation of the harm reduction center. 19
64+SECTION 3. Section 23-12.10-6 of the General Laws in Chapter 23-12.10 entitled "Harm 20
65+Reduction Center Advisory Committee and Pilot Program." is hereby repealed. 21
66+23-12.10-6. Sunset. 22
67+On or before January 31, 2026, the director of the department of health and the attorney 23
68+general shall submit to the governor, the speaker of the house, and the president of the senate, 24
69+recommendations as to continuation of the provisions of this chapter, and unless extended by the 25
70+general assembly, the provisions of this chapter shall sunset and expire on March 1, 2026. 26
71+SECTION 4. This act shall take effect upon passage. 27
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7878 EXPLANATION
7979 BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
8080 OF
8181 A N A C T
8282 RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- HARM REDUCTION CENTER ADVISORY
8383 COMMITTEE AND PILOT PROGRAM
8484 ***
85-This act extends the sunset provision of the four (4) year pilot program to prevent drug 1
86-overdoses through the establishment of harm reduction centers for two (2) years to March 1, 2028. 2
87-This act would take effect upon passage. 3
85+This act removes the sunset provision of the four (4) year pilot program to prevent drug 1
86+overdoses through the establishment of harm reduction centers and creates a permanent program 2
87+for harm reduction centers. 3
88+This act would take effect upon passage. 4
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