Senator Kelly Seyarto (R-Murrieta) has introduced his public safety bill package for the 2023 legislative year, focusing on combating fentanyl abuse in our communities.
SB 19 would establish the California Anti-Fentanyl Abuse Task Force to increase public education and mobilize state and local resources to evaluate the best practices for combating fentanyl.
“Californians are falling victim to drug dealers who prey on the potency and availability of illicit fentanyl,” said Senator Seyarto. “We need to give local agencies the tools they need to keep our communities safe and hold criminals accountable. This task force will identify the resources necessary to respond and bring this epidemic under control.”
SB 67 would enroll California’s departments and agencies who are on the frontlines of the opioid epidemic into the free universal information sharing program known as ODMAP to track and effectively address live patterns of overdoses. Currently, over 3,000 local, state, and federal agencies across the country participate in this program.
“This data sharing application provides local health and public safety agencies with real-time pattern identification information, giving them an opportunity to track trends in overdose drug usage and focus their resources on intervention and education in impacted areas,” said Seyarto. “By expanding this resource to all of California, we can enhance community response and work together against the fentanyl epidemic.”
Seyarto is also proud to co-author SB 44 (Umberg): Alexandra’s Law, a bipartisan bill that would require a court to issue an advisory to individuals convicted of selling or distributing controlled substances, including fentanyl, warning them of potential future criminal liability if another person dies as a result of those actions.
In 2020 alone, California experienced nearly 4,000 deaths related to fentanyl overdose, and in 2021, fentanyl overdose became recognized as the leading cause of death of Americans aged 18 to 45.
Senator Seyarto is a retired firefighter/paramedic who served numerous Southern California communities during a career that spanned 35 years. He retired at the rank of Battalion Chief from the Los Angeles County Fire Department in 2015.