Macon Reporter

The Illinois House Public Health Committee this week approved House Bill 1121, the Drug Overdose Prevention and Harm Reduction Act, bipartisan legislation aimed at saving people from potentially deadly drug overdoses by helping medical professionals deal with fentanyl and other lethal drug combinations.

State Rep. Sue Scherer, D-Decatur, used social media on Tuesday, taking to Facebook to discuss approval of the measure by lawmakers.

“Bipartisan legislation to save people from fatal drug overdoses is moving to the House floor,” Scherer said in a post on Facebook. “The House Public Health Committee unanimously approved the Drug Overdose Prevention and Harm Reduction Act (HB 1121) this week, which will help medical professionals combat deadly fentanyl and other lethal drug adulterants."

The bill isn’t the first time Illinois legislators took action to offer safety to at-risk individuals in the state.

According to the Illinois Public Health Department website, in August 2019, Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed the Overdose Prevention and Harm Reduction Act into law, which formed hypodermic syringe access programs or syringe services programs in the state.

According to trackbill.com, HB 1121 received bipartisan support during the Feb. 23 hearing before the committee, with seven members voting in the affirmative and one member not voting.

Representatives Mary Beth Canty, Anne Stava-Murray, Theresa Mah, Chris Miller, Kevin Schmidt, Suzanne M. Ness and Janet Yang Rohr voted for the measure and William E. Hauter did not vote, according to trackbill.com.