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Assembly Bill A9001

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Establishes a medetomidine, benzodiazepine, nitazenes, and/or other harmful contaminants test strip program

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2025-A9001 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Senate Version of this Bill:
S9221
Law Section:
Mental Hygiene Law
Laws Affected:
Add §19.47, Ment Hyg L

2025-A9001 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Directs the commissioner of the office of alcoholism and substance abuse services to establish a program for individuals to receive free drug test strips to detect the presence of medetomidine, benzodiazepine, nitazenes, and/or other harmful contaminants; directs the commissioner of the office of alcoholism and substance abuse services, in cooperation with the commissioner of the department of health, to develop and conduct a public awareness and educational campaign on the dangers of medetomidine, benzodiazepine, nitazenes, and/or other harmful contaminants.

2025-A9001 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf 

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   9001
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                              August 13, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. STECK -- read once and referred to the Committee
   on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse
 
 AN ACT to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation  to  establishing  a
   medetomidine,  benzodiazepine, nitazenes, and/or other harmful contam-
   inants test strip program

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  The mental hygiene law is amended by adding a new section
 19.47 to read as follows:
 § 19.47 MEDETOMIDINE, BENZODIAZEPINE, NITAZENES,  AND/OR  OTHER  HARMFUL
           CONTAMINANTS TEST STRIP PROGRAM.
   1.  THE COMMISSIONER SHALL ESTABLISH A PROGRAM WHEREBY INDIVIDUALS MAY
 RECEIVE, FREE OF CHARGE, DRUG TEST STRIPS  TO  DETECT  THE  PRESENCE  OF
 CONTAMINANTS  SUCH  AS  MEDETOMIDINE,  BENZODIAZEPINE, NITAZENES, AND/OR
 OTHER HARMFUL CONTAMINANTS.   THE  FOLLOWING  FACILITIES  MAY  APPLY  TO
 DISTRIBUTE SUCH TEST STRIPS FOR MEDETOMIDINE, BENZODIAZEPINE, NITAZENES,
 AND/OR OTHER HARMFUL CONTAMINANTS:
   (A) HOSPITAL EMERGENCY ROOMS;
   (B) ADDICTION TREATMENT FACILITIES;
   (C) FACILITIES FOR SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER PROGRAMS;
   (D) HOMELESS SHELTERS;
   (E) URGENT CARE CENTERS;
   (F) MOBILE MEDICATION UNITS;
   (G)  TREATMENT  FACILITIES AS DEFINED IN PARAGRAPH FIVE OF SUBDIVISION
 (A) OF SECTION 22.09 OF THIS TITLE; AND
   (H) ANY OTHER SETTING, AS DETERMINED BY THE OFFICE, WHICH IS ROUTINELY
 ACCESSED BY INDIVIDUALS WITH A SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER.
   2. INDIVIDUALS SHALL NOT BE TARGETED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT WHEN THEY  ARE
 OBTAINING  TEST  STRIPS  FOR  MEDETOMIDINE,  BENZODIAZEPINE,  NITAZENES,
 AND/OR OTHER HARMFUL CONTAMINANTS AT THE FACILITIES PURSUANT TO SUBDIVI-
 SION ONE OF THIS SECTION.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD13552-02-5

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