Goodlatte Floor Statement on the "Good Samaritan Assessment Act"

Chairman Goodlatte: H.R. 5048, the “Good Samaritan Assessment Act of 2016,” was introduced by our colleague Congressman Frank Guinta, co-chair of the House Bipartisan Task Force to Combat the Heroin Epidemic. This legislation directs the Government Accountability Office to study the various “Good Samaritan” laws in effect in states across the country. Generally speaking, every state has some form of Good Samaritan law, which protects from prosecution citizens who render aid in good faith to someone in need of assistance.  As a general matter, courts will not hold a Good Samaritan liable if he or she rendered care as a result of an emergency, the emergency or injury was not caused by the Good Samaritan himself, and the care was not given in a negligent or reckless manner. In the context of opioids, “Good Samaritan law” refers to laws that provide immunity for responding to an opioid overdose, by rendering aid or by calling 911. Today, more than half the states and the District of Columbia have enacted some form of Good Samaritan law that provides immunity or limits liability for those who report an opioid overdose or render care to a person experiencing such an emergency. In my home state of Virginia, the General Assembly passed a Good Samaritan law in 2015, which provides immunity for individuals who contact emergency services to report an overdose, provided the caller remains at the scene of the overdose until law enforcement responds, identifies himself when law enforcement responds, and cooperates with any criminal investigation. Given the recent proliferation of these laws at the state level, and Congress’s desire and duty to address the opioid epidemic, it is fitting that we assess how the various Good Samaritan laws work to protect our citizens and help save lives.  H.R. 5048 will direct GAO to help us get the information we need. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.