LEGISLATIVE ALERT: SENATE BILL 604

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AN ACT concerning Criminal Law – Distribution of Heroin or Fentanyl Causing Serious Bodily Injury or Death (Victoria, Scottie, Ashleigh, and Yader’s Law)

SENATE BILL 604

https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/bills/sb/sb0604F.pdf

AN ACT concerning

Criminal Law – Distribution of Heroin or Fentanyl Causing Serious Bodily

Injury or Death

(Victoria, Scottie, Ashleigh, and Yader’s Law)

FOR the purpose of prohibiting an individual from distributing heroin or fentanyl or a chemical analogue of heroin or fentanyl, the use of which results in the death or serious bodily injury of another; and generally relating to the distribution of controlled dangerous substances.

Please write in SUPPORT of Senate Bill 604 to penalize those who distribute the dangerous and illicit substance fentanyl which is kills hundreds of Marylanders every year.

Please note that this hearing will be a shortened version compared to the one that will take place in the House at a later date. Unfortunately, only written testimony will be accepted for the Senate hearing. The MyMGA attachment will provide you with step-by-step instructions on submitting written testimony. The Current JPR FAQs attachment also provides some helpful information on how the Committee operates. When registering, please be sure to select the written testimony option. Written testimony can ONLY be submitted on Monday, February 10th from 8AM – 6PM.

“While opioids are not the only source of overdose deaths, they are a major contributor.

According to the state’s overdose dashboard, there were at least 1,934 overdose deaths from September 2023 to August 2024. Of those, 1,669 deaths involved opioids and 1,545 included fentanyl.”

CDC says Maryland, and most of the nation, has had fewer overdose deaths in 2024

Suggested Talking Points (I encourage you to choose only those most relevant to your position)

  • Overdoses contribute to hundreds of deaths every year.
  • Many of the overdose deaths are young people.
  • The user may not be aware of Fentanyl in the substance they use. 
  • Current state laws have not kept apace with relevant trends in overdose fatalities and should be updated.
  • While current prevailing thought is that leniency should be allowed so that emergency services will be called, language can be introduced for those situations specifically.
  • Financially benefitting from distributing substances that kill so many Marylanders should have just consequences. 
  • Maryland families have been devastated by the impact of Fentanyl deaths.

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