MACo submitted written testimony in support of Senate Bill 309, “Health – Reporting of Overdose Information”, to the House Health and Government Operations Committee. After amendments in the Senate, the bill improves the ability of law enforcement and first responders to submit information about likely overdoses to the proper local, state, or federal platforms.

As the opioid crisis continues to grip the State, it is critical that local authorities have effective and efficient ways of looking at overdose-related data. This allows all parties to communicate more effectively, and marshal resources to adequately address individuals and areas in a community that could be at an increased risk for an overdose.

From MACo Testimony:

As Maryland continues to grapple with the opioid crisis, it is vital that local governments and first responders have timely and accurate information regarding overdoses. Secure online platforms that provide the ability to track overdoses across jurisdictional lines are valuable tools for pinpointing spikes in overdoses and observing patterns of use and distribution. This information would help governments efficiently manage the use of their resources to address the threats to public health and public safety.

As overdose data and information sharing are key components to solving this crisis, counties believe the information must be reported through secure platforms to the extent that it is practicable to do so.”

For more on this and other legislation, follow MACo’s advocacy efforts during the 2018 legislative session here.