1400 K Street, Suite 400, Sacramento, CA 95814 • 916.658.8200 • calcities.org
April 20, 2023
The Honorable Anthony Rendon
Speaker, California State Assembly
1021 O Street, Suite 8330
Sacramento, CA 95814
The Honorable James Gallagher
Republican Leader, State Assembly
1021 O Street, Suite 4740
Sacramento, CA 958
RE: Support of Fentanyl and Substance Use-Related Legislation
Dear Speaker Rendon and Assembly Republican Leader Gallagher,
The League of California Cities (Cal Cities) is encouraged that the Assembly Public Safety Committee will be considering a slate of bills that could help save countless lives across our state. Cal Cities supports a number of critically needed fentanyl and other substance use-related legislation. These measures would stem the tide of illicit substance-related deaths in California and bring relief to the many communities mourning tragic, preventable deaths.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 71,000 people died from synthetic opioid-related overdose in the United States in 2021, of which, 7,000 deaths occurred in California. In other words, 1 out every 10 deaths from synthetic opioids in the United States occurs in California. The increase of drug-related overdose deaths is largely being driven by the increase in synthetic opioid-related deaths, primarily fentanyl.
Local communities experience the realities of the opioid epidemic each day through the increasing toll on families, first responders, educators, child welfare agencies, criminal justice, public safety officials, health professionals, and community organizations, among others. As committed partners in finding solutions to address the growing substance use crisis in our state, Cal Cities supports the following measures:
Assembly Public Safety Special Hearing on Fentanyl
AB 33 (Bains) Fentanyl Addiction and Overdose Prevention Task Force.
AB 367 (Maienschein) Controlled Substances: Enhancements.
AB 474 (Rodriguez) State Threat Assessment Center: Transnational Criminal Organizations.
AB 955 (Petrie-Norris) Controlled Substances.
Now, more than ever, is the time to take action on measures that will preserve human life and improve the safety and well-being of all Californians. In addition to the bills selected to be heard at the Special Hearing on Fentanyl, Cal Cities calls on the Legislature and the Governor’s Office to take action on a number of other proposed measures that put forward comprehensive solutions to addressing the substance use
crisis. Cal Cities supports the following proposed solutions under consideration by both Houses:
Assembly Bills:
AB 24 (Haney) Emergency response: opioid antagonist kits.
AB 462 (Ramos) Overdose response teams.
AB 701 (Villapudua) Controlled substances: fentanyl.
AB 1027 (Petrie-Norris) Social media platforms.
AB 1060 (Ortega) Health care coverage: naloxone hydrochloride.
AB 1166 (Bains) Liability for opioid antagonist administration.
AB 1362 (Davies) Pupil instruction: adopted course of study: physical education.
Senate Bills:
SB 19 (Seyarto) Anti-Fentanyl Abuse Task Force.
SB 44 (Umberg) Controlled substances.
SB 237 (Grove) Controlled substances: fentanyl.
SB 325 (Grove) Controlled substances: fentanyl.
SB 641 (Roth) Public health: alcohol and drug programs: naloxone.
Cal Cities policy supports additional funding and resources to address the substance use crisis through appropriate prevention and intervention efforts, educational awareness campaigns, and increased access to life-saving overdose treatment aids such as naloxone.
For these reasons, Cal Cities supports over a dozen measures related to fentanyl, substance use, and public health and safety. We look forward to working with you to realize an even stronger partnership to improve the health and safety of all Californians.
If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected]
and [email protected].
Sincerely,
Elisa Arcidiacono Caroline Cirrincione
Legislative Affairs, Lobbyist Legislative Affairs, Lobbyist
cc: Members, Senate Appropriations Committee
Members, Senate Public Safety Committee
Members, Senate Health Committee
Members, Assembly Public Safety Committee
Members, Assembly Appropriations Committee
Members, Assembly Health Committee
Members, Assembly Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee Members, Assembly Education Committee
Mark McKenzie, Staff Director, Senate Appropriations Committee Mary Kennedy, Chief Counsel, Senate Public Safety Committee Melanie Moreno, Staff Director, Senate Health Committee Sandy Uribe, Chief Consultant, Assembly Public Safety Committee Jay Dickenson, Chief Consultant, Assembly Appropriations Committee Rosielyn Pulmano, Chief Consultant, Assembly Health Committee Jith Meganathan, Chief Consultant, Assembly Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee
Tanya Lieberman, Chief Consultant, Assembly Education Committee Kirk Feely, Fiscal Director, Senate Republican Caucus
Eric Csizmar, Policy Consultant, Senate Republican Caucus Joe Parra, Policy Consultant, Senate Republican Caucus
Gary Olson, Consultant, Assembly Republican Caucus
Joe Shinstock, Fiscal Director, Assembly Republican Caucus Gino Folchi, Consultant, Assembly Republican Caucus
Liz Enea, Consultant, Assembly Republican Caucus
Robert Becker, Consultant, Assembly Republican Caucus