Jesse Scheckner
Florida emergency medical professionals would be better informed in treating overdose patients under a proposal two Democratic state lawmakers filed this week.
Boca Raton Sen. Tina Scott Polsky and Orlando Rep. Rita Harris are carrying twin bills (SB 1346, HB 1195) to require hospitals and off-campus emergency departments to conduct urine tests for fentanyl in cases of suspected drug overdose or poisoning.
“I cannot stress how important harm-reduction strategies are to reduce the negative consequences of drug use,” Polsky said in a statement.
“Over my years of advocacy on this issue, many families have shared their stories with me about the loved ones they have lost due to fentanyl poisoning. This legislation will save lives by providing vital time-sensitive care, and I hope, as a state, we support it and continue to help fight drug addiction.”
Polsky and Harris’ legislation is titled “Gage’s Law” after Gage Austin Taylor, a 29-year-old Orlando man who died of an accidental fentanyl overdose on Sept. 26, 2022.
His mother, Gretchen Murray, has since become a fentanyl awareness activist, participating in the Empty Chair Campaign that highlights those killed by the deadly substance.
Orlando Police have since arrested, and the State Attorney’s Office has since charged, two drug dealers who sold Gage fentanyl-tainted drugs.
Florida has the second-most fentanyl-related deaths in the country, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
“Fentanyl has become a major driver of overdose deaths in our state, and it’s imperative that healthcare providers have the tools and information they need to respond effectively,” Harris said in a statement. “As we continue to tackle the fentanyl crisis, Gage’s Law will make an immediate difference in how we detect and treat this dangerous substance in our communities.”
This isn’t Polsky’s first run at improving fentanyl testing. In 2023, she passed legislation to decriminalize fentanyl test strips, a cheap and easy way to determine if a consumable contains the harmful substance.
Parkland Democratic Rep. Christine Hunschofsky and Fort Pierce Republican Rep. Dana Trabulsy sponsored the measure in the House.
Early this month, U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody — Florida’s immediate past Attorney General, whom Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed to the Senate last month — again blamed Democrats in Washington for fentanyl’s spread while urging them to confirm President Donald Trump’s Cabinet nominees.
In May, she blamed President Joe Biden’s border policies after a report highlighted that Florida leads the nation in fentanyl seizures.
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A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics contributed to this report.
