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Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to health
- Referred to health
Full text
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Sponsor's memo
BILL NUMBER:S5563
Title of bill
An act to amend the public health law, in relation to expanding opportunities for the safe disposal of unused controlled substances
Purpose or general idea of bill
Revises the program for safe disposal of unused controlled substances by consumers to exempt those surrendering controlled substance from legal penalty and allows for the appropriate and legal options for the destruction of surrendered controlled substances are available to disposal sites without cost.
Summary of specific provisions
Section 1. Amends Section 3343-b of the public health law to deem the surrender of a controlled substance to a safe disposal program exempt from legal recourse and publishes the location of disposal sites on the department's website. Section 1 also ensures that options for the destruction of surrendered controlled substances are available to disposal sites without cost and allows for expansion of the program to additional political subdivisions.
Section 2. States the effective date.
Justification
Community-based drug "take-back" programs offer safe disposal alternatives for controlled substances. When disposed of unsafely, controlled substances may end up in the wrong hands or pollute our water supply. Therefore, it is necessary for New York State to expand its safe disposal program. This legislation would allow consumers to surrender their controlled substances, or controlled substances obtained without a prescription, without fear of arrest for possession, transfer or sale of such controlled substance. The removal of the possibility of arrest will encourage citizens to turn in their unused controlled substances and allow for their safe disposal. In addition, this legislation would also promote the expansion of the safe disposal program by publishing the location of safe disposal sites on the department's website, allow political subdivisions to request to participate in the program, and provide the department which options for the destruction of surrendered controlled substances to disposal sites without cost.
Prior legislative history
None.
Fiscal implications
Minimal to the State.
Effective date
Immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.