Bills · 2017-2018 Regular Session

AB 444

Became law Official bill text Atom feed

Relating to: hospice staff transferring the controlled substances of deceased persons to drug disposal programs.

Death Drugs Medical service

Introduced, completed
Passes Assembly, completed
Passes Senate, completed
Governor signs, completed
Law, completed

Unfamiliar terms? Glossary

What this bill does

Plain-language analysis by the nonpartisan Legislative Reference Bureau

This bill authorizes a hospice worker to receive written authorization from a

personal representative or trustee of a deceased person's estate or trust, or an adult

beneficiary of the estate or trust, to lawfully transfer a controlled substance to a drug

disposal program that is authorized under state or federal law. Under the bill, the

authorization is valid only if it satisfies certain conditions, including that the

authorization describes the controlled substance with reasonable specificity and

that the authorization and the controlled substance were obtained by the hospice

worker without the payment of money or something else of value.

Under current law, a person may not, and it is often a crime to, deliver, receive,

or possess certain controlled substances unless the person is a licensed pharmacist

or other licensed practitioner, has a valid prescription for the controlled substance,

or lawfully possesses the controlled substance for the purpose of transferring it to a

drug disposal program that is authorized under state or federal law.

Votes

Assembly: Report passage recommended by Committee on Aging and Long-Term Care, Ayes 7, Noes 0

Passed 7–0 Oct 24, 2017 official source full page

No individual roll call was recorded for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Senate: Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 3, Noes 2

Passed 3–2 Nov 3, 2017 official source full page