Connor Advances Opioid Overdose Reporting Bill

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. –  In an effort to address the ongoing opioid epidemic in Illinois, state Rep. John Connor, D-Lockport, is advancing legislation that will require hospitals to report information on cases of opioid overdoses to the Department of Public Health.

“Collecting information on who is overdosing on opioids will not only help legislators and public health officials pinpoint communities that need intervention, but also help us identify the primary causes that are leading people to opiate addiction,” Connor said. “This legislation will provide the General Assembly and the Department of Public Health with detailed information that could help implement effective prevention measures in the communities that need it most.”

Connor’s House Bill 4331 would order coroners to report the death and age, gender, race and county of residence of those determined to have died of opioid overdose to the Department of Public Health. In addition, hospitals treating patients suffering from opioid overdose must report the same information for each patient. The Department of Public Health must then use that information to send an annual report to the General Assembly.

“Passing this bill will enable us to better address the increasing incidence of opioid overdose by giving legislators and the Department of Public Health the opportunity to create programs and interventions specific to each community that is affected,” Connor said. “I’m hopeful that this legislation will get us one step closer to ending the opioid epidemic in our state.”

For more information on this legislation and the opioid crisis, please contact Connor’s constituent service office at 815-372-0085 or RepConnor@gmail.com.