Manley Backs Legislation to Increase Reporting Surrounding Opioid-Related Deaths

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Continuing her efforts to help suburban communities address the opioid epidemic, state Rep. Natalie Manley, D-Joliet, is supporting legislation that would increase data sent to the state after an opioid-related death.

“Legislators have been trying to learn as much as possible about how the opioid epidemic is affecting our community,” Manley said. “Under this legislation, the information that hospitals will be required to send to public health officials will help us gain a better understanding of who is most affected in this ongoing epidemic.”

Manley is sponsoring House Bill 4331, which will require hospitals to report the age, gender, race and county of residence of each individual admitted with an opioid overdose diagnosis. Additionally, in cases that result in death by an opioid overdose, a coroner must report the death as well as the age, gender, race and county of residence to the Department of Public Health.  The Department of Public Health must then report this information to the General Assembly on a yearly basis.

“According the Department of Public Health, there were over 2,000 opioid-related deaths in Illinois last year,” said Manley. “While this additional information is helpful, it is also vital for the state to fully fund drug treatment and prevention programs. I’m calling on all legislators, on both sides of the aisle, to remain committed to putting a budget in place the will provide tools to fight the opioid epidemic.”