The bill is supported by over 200 medical professionals and providers. It informs patients of their rights to opt in and out of record sharing, protecting their dignity and healthcare choices without compromising safety.
Sponsor argued the bill codifies an existing program that has provided lifesaving information through real-time drug testing at 13 sites. She emphasized the program's role in addressing the overdose epidemic, particularly in Black and brown communities, and stated it provides legal protections while empowering DOH to monitor drug supply trends.
The bill creates permanent, reliable funding for recovery support services through the Opioid Stewardship Fund, ensuring at least 20 percent goes to recovery services with matching harm reduction investments. She emphasized that federal cuts make this state-level funding stabilization critical to support every step of someone's recovery journey.
The bill addresses the impact of addiction in the workplace by requiring opioid antagonists be available in certain workplaces, similar to first aid materials. This is a lifesaving step that ensures immediate help is available if someone suffers an overdose, giving them a fighting chance for survival.
The bill corrects a technical oversight that creates a loophole excluding Sackler family members from opioid settlement agreements, risking $250 million in New York funding. The legislation clarifies that settlement funds are secured from all parties involved in the prescription drug supply chain who benefited from the opioid crisis.
The bill gives medical providers tools to dispense short-term buprenorphine supplies, providing a critical bridge for patients in crisis to stabilize and access recovery treatment, aligning with federal guidelines.
Sponsor argued the $250 cap on out-of-pocket costs for outpatient substance use disorder treatment prevents financial barriers from discouraging individuals from continuing recovery care, ensuring treatment is sustainable and grounded in public health.
Sponsor argued the bill expands preventative dental care access by allowing parents to apply fluoride varnish at home under clinical supervision, removing barriers like transportation and work conflicts while maintaining professional oversight. She emphasized that tooth decay is a hidden epidemic affecting children's ability to sleep, eat, and focus in school.
The bill flips the legal presumption on pay-for-delay drug settlements from neutral to anticompetitive, requiring companies to prove such agreements benefit the public. She argued this targeted fix addresses billions in consumer costs and months or years of delayed generic drug access.
The bill sponsor explained that changing "addict" to "person with substance use disorder" addresses decades of stigma and criminalization. She noted the term entered statute in 1972 during the heroin crisis and was reinforced by Rockefeller drug laws, leading to mass incarceration instead of treatment. She emphasized that substance use disorder is a chronic health condition and that words shape culture and policy.
The bill fixes a gap in New York law by protecting people too impaired to consent from sexual assault, regardless of whether they voluntarily became intoxicated or were drugged. Justice should not depend on how a survivor became incapacitated.
The bill sponsor emphasized that designating May 9th as Opioid Awareness Day is a solemn recognition of a crisis touching every corner of the state. She framed awareness as a commitment to education, prevention, and care that rejects shame and chooses compassion, stating that awareness is the first step toward saving lives.
Supported the budget's substance use disorder provisions, particularly the transparency legislation for opioid settlement dollars and rejection of drug scheduling which she argued creates new drugs.
Peer advocates with lived experience of incarceration bring hope and trust to those behind bars. Peer support strengthens recovery, reduces recidivism, and prepares people for reentry. The bill corrects an injustice by allowing certified peer advocates to work in correctional facilities despite prior incarceration, recognizing that no one is defined by the worst chapter of their life.
The bill removes the requirement for child sexual assault survivors under 17 to recall exact dates of abuse, preventing retraumatization and allowing prosecutors to pursue credible cases that would otherwise be abandoned due to the child's inability to remember specific details.
College students living in a county for their education are technically residents and have community connections through their time and economic participation there. The bill addresses a critical shortage of poll workers and inspectors while requiring strict adherence to existing Election Law prohibitions on voter interference.
The bill is essential because overdose patients admitted to emergency rooms are often not directed to recovery care; this legislation would ensure they are connected to appropriate treatment services.
Overdose deaths are 100 percent preventable through evidence-based approaches like Narcan distribution and drug testing. The bill represents a commitment to treating addiction as a health crisis, supporting recovery services, and building a system that keeps people alive.
Introduced the bill to combat pay-for-delay agreements that keep generic drugs off the market and inflate costs. Argued that transparency is necessary to hold drug companies accountable and ensure New Yorkers can afford life-saving medications.
The bill addresses dangerous chemicals in menstrual products, including PFAS, mercury, formaldehyde, and lead. Fernandez emphasized that consumers use thousands of these products over their lifetimes and deserve safe options to protect reproductive and general health.