The Texas Senate has passed a bill allowing for murder charges to be brought in some fentanyl-related deaths. The bill passed in a 30-1 vote and will now go back to the state House for a vote, after which it will go to GovAbbott's desk.
The Senate amended House Bill 6 to reclassify"fentanyl toxicity" as"fentanyl poisoning" when medical examiners complete a death certificate. The bill, which passed in a 30-1 vote, will now go back to the House of Representatives for a vote, after which it will go to Gov. Greg Abbott's desk. Abbott has made fighting the opioid crisis a central focus of his administration and would likely sign HB 6 into law.
The Washington Examiner reached out to state Rep. Craig Goldman , the original author of HB 6, to see if he plans on voting in favor of the amended bill. HB 6 would allow for much harsher penalties for those caught producing and distributing fentanyl, including life in prison.The bill's defenders hailed the legislation as needed to combat a worsening fentanyl epidemic, while opponents claim there is no evidence to show that increasing punishment for fentanyl production and distribution would help alleviate or end the crisis.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that more than 5,000 Texans died from fentanyl overdoses from July 2021 to July 2022.
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