SB 584
Lauren's Law increasing penalty for delivery of certain controlled substances
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- Passed Senate
- Passed House of Delegates
- To Governor
- Became Law
Bill overview
Senate Bill 584, known as Lauren’s Law, increases the penalties for delivering controlled substances that lead to a person’s death. Specifically, it mandates a determinate sentence of life imprisonment for those convicted of delivering a controlled substance when the user’s death results from its use, ingestion, or consumption. The bill also addresses a separate offense, holding individuals accountable if they fail to provide medical assistance during a drug overdose that results in death.
Key provisions
- Increases the penalty for delivering controlled substances that cause death to a life sentence.
- The life sentence cannot be suspended.
- Addresses a separate offense of failing to render aid during a drug overdose resulting in death.
- Applies to both illicitly delivered substances and those consumed with other substances.
- Defines ‘proximate cause’ in the context of death resulting from substance use.
- Specifies the potential imprisonment range for the failure to render aid offense.
- Establishes the bill as ‘Lauren’s Law’.
Who is affected
- Individuals involved in the delivery of controlled substances
- Individuals who use controlled substances
- Healthcare providers
- Law enforcement
- The general public (through increased penalties)
Notable changes
- Increases the potential sentence for drug delivery resulting in death from a variable range to a determinate life sentence.
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