It's an honor to serve as your State Representative for the 63rd Ohio House District.
I invite everybody to read more about what I'm working on at the Statehouse by visiting my webpage here, or checking out my previous newsletters here.
God Bless,
Adam Bird State Representative Ohio's 63rd House District
House Bill 88 - Legislation to Combat Fentanyl Crisis in Ohio
Representative Bird is a co-sponsor of House Bill 88 - legislation to directly combat drug trafficking in Ohio. This bill comes as a result of the staggering increase in drug overdoses, specifically fentanyl poisoning, in Ohio and throughout the United States. According to the Ohio Department of Health, in 2023, illicit fentanyl or fentanyl analogs were involved in 78% of unintentional drug overdose deaths in Ohio, often in combination with other drugs.
Key provisions of the bill are as follows:
Increases penalties for drug trafficking fentanyl-related compounds;
Increases penalties for repeat drug traffickers;
Establishes a 5-year mandatory minimum prison term if an individual is convicted of or pleads guilty to a fentanyl-related death;
Requires death certificates to list fentanyl poisoning as the cause of death if a lethal amount was found in a person’s body and was determined to contribute to the cause of death;
Designates August as “Fentanyl Poisoning Awareness Month”; and
Requires public schools to develop age-appropriate curriculum and instruct students on the dangers of fentanyl.
House Bill 88 now moves to the Ohio Senate for further consideration.
