It’s critical that we support LD 1862: An Act to Strengthen Maine’s Good Samaritan Laws Concerning Drug-Related Medical Assistance.
We are losing 12 of our friends, family members, and neighbors each week to preventable overdose. The current Good Samaritan Law, while well-intended, is limited in scope, and the threat of criminal penalties continues to instill fear in individuals at the scene of an overdose, hindering them from calling for help. We are trying to change that with LD 1862.
The Criminal Justice & Public Safety Committee voted on LD 1862 on March 4, 2022, resulting in a divided report. The majority (seven members) voted for the bill with the Governor’s amendment, which would keep the current Good Samaritan Law as it is but extend its limited protections to anyone “rendering aid.” The vague language and the lack of additional protections will not change how our community feels about calling 911.
The minority (six members) voted for the bill with the Maxmin amendment, which would expand the Good Samaritan Law to shield everyone at the scene of an overdose from arrest or prosecution for all non-violent crimes and for violations of probation and bail conditions.
We are calling on our coalition to support the Maxmin amendment (the Minority Report). This would ensure that EVERYONE feels safe to call 911, and it would save lives.
Click here to view a document reviewing the differences between the Maxmin amendment and the Governor’s amendment, and click here to learn more about how you can help get LD 1862 passed into law.
Recent Press
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Click here to see more press coverage on the campaign.
What is the
Good Samaritan Law?
On May 23, 2019, Governor Janet Mills signed LD 329, An Act To Exempt from Criminal Liability Persons Reporting a Drug-related Medical Emergency (known as the Good Samaritan Bill), into law. The bill came to her desk with unanimous support from the Maine Legislature.
Maine’s Good Samaritan Law prevents a person from being arrested or prosecuted for certain violations if the grounds for that arrest or prosecution result from the person experiencing a drug-related overdose or seeking medical assistance for someone else who is.
Who does it currently protect?
A person who, in good faith, seeks medical assistance for a person experiencing a drug-related overdose
A person who is experiencing an overdose and needs medical assistance
What do the protections
currently cover?
Maine’s Good Samaritan Law protects you from arrest or prosecution for violating laws prohibiting:
- Possession of scheduled drugs
- Acquiring drugs by deception
- Possession of hypodermic apparatuses
- Use of drug paraphernalia
- Violation of probation
This bill helps to make it easier to do the right thing – to save a person’s life – without worrying that you might ruin your own life (or theirs) in the process.
Why do we need to expand the Good Samaritan Law?
The current Good Samaritan Law, while well intended, is limited in scope and the threat of criminal penalties continue to instill fear in individuals at the scene of an overdose, hindering them from calling for help.
What would LD 1862 do to expand the Good Samaritan Laws?
LD 1862: An Act to Strengthen Maine’s Good Samaritan Laws Concerning Drug-Related Medical Assistance would expand the Good Samaritan Law to shield everyone at the scene of an overdose from arrest or prosecution for all non-violent crimes and violations of probation and bail conditions.
This would ensure that EVERYONE feels safe to call 911 and it would save lives.
Why are laws like this important?
Because they have been proven to save lives.
Maine is one of 47 other states and the District of Columbia that have enacted some form of a Good Samaritan or 911 drug immunity law. A 2020 study by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found a nationwide pattern of lower opioid-related overdose death rates among states that have enacted Good Samaritan laws, both compared to death rates prior to a law’s enactment and death rates in states without such laws. Studies also found that people are more likely to call 911 if they are aware of the laws. You can download an overview of the study here or read the full study here.