SB 57 (Wiener) has been sent to the Governor. SB 57 would permit the City and County of San Francisco, the County of Los Angeles, the City of Los Angeles, and the City of Oakland to approve entities to establish and operate overdose prevention programs (OPPs) until January 1, 2028. The bill would require OPPs to provide specified services, including supervision by trained staff and referrals for treatment.
This isn’t the first bill like this to reach a governor. You may recall that Senator Eggman introduced several bills when Governor Brown was in office. One of them made it to Governor Brown’s desk. Governor Brown vetoed it stating, “enabling illegal and destructive drug use will never work.”
SB 57 is supported by the California Association of Alcohol and Drug Program Executives, the California Society of Addiction Medicine Drug Policy Alliance, HealthRIGHT 360, San Francisco AIDS Foundation, and Tarzana Treatment Centers. You can read more about the history of the issue here.
What will Governor Newsom do on the bill? There are rumblings that he may find a reason to veto it. We shall see.
Worth a Read
April 19, 2024
