State Senator Theresa Gavarone, R-Bowling Green, this week introduced Senate Bill 55, also known as the Relapse Reduction Act. The legislation will enhance penalties for drug traffickers who sell on the premises or near addiction service providers.
Senate Bill 55 is modeled after current law that increases penalties for certain drug offenses that occur near schools and juveniles.
“Too often drug dealers are waiting in the parking lot or across the street so that they can give or sell drugs to addicts to make sure they continue to be customers,” said Gavarone. “Encouraging a person to seek help for their addiction is difficult, let alone seeing a person on the road to recovery be met with the temptation to relapse.”
The bill was introduced last General Assembly as the result of a conversation between Gavarone and Paul Dobson, Wood County Prosecutor.
The legislation passed the House with a favorable 93 to 1 vote and was voted out of the Senate Judiciary Committee late in the General Assembly. Senate Bill 55 will be referred to a Senate committee for further consideration.
