New York State Senator Steve Rhoads Takes Action to Fight the Fentanyl Crisis

On January 5, New York State Senator Steve Rhoads joined a bi-partisan coalition of his government colleagues, law enforcement officials, drug treatment center professionals, mental health advocates, and families directly affected by the fentanyl epidemic, gathering outside the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office to take an active role in fighting the fentanyl crisis wreaking havoc across our nation and our state. He continued the fight on January 8 in Albany with his Senate colleagues, Assemblyman Steve Stern, Nassau District Attorney Anne Donnelly, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney, members of law enforcement, labor unions, community activists and constituents to highlight the need to fix our laws surrounding fentanyl and other narcotics. The Senate Republican Conference has introduced four crucial bills that will address this crisis:

• S.7790 “Chelsey’s Law” would allow suppliers of drugs that cause fatalities to be charged with Manslaughter
• S.7763 would designate Xylazine, also known as “Tranq” as a controlled substance
• S.7805 would allow Crime Victims Assistance Funds to be awarded to the families and children of overdose victims 
• We have also introduced legislation that would allow for cash bail to be imposed in the crimes of sale, distribution, or possession with intent to sell synthetic opioids

Senator Steve Rhoads said, “I promised my constituents I would be a fighter for public safety - this package of bills makes public safety a priority and delivers on that promise. This package of bills aims to directly combat the dangerous fentanyl epidemic our state and our nation is facing and is necessary to save lives. It provides law enforcement officials and District Attorneys with the legal tools they need to take drug dealers off the streets and prevent fentanyl from reaching our communities. As elected leaders of our communities, it is our duty and our responsibility to pass these bills and take action to save lives. The time to act is now.”