Bill Title: To require health-trained personnel to perform a medical, dental, and mental health screening on each inmate upon arrival at a jail, to establish procedures that health-trained personnel must follow if an inmate is taking xanax, ativan, valium, or any other benzodiazepine, and to provide that the sheriff ensure that health-trained personnel responsible for medical, dental, and mental health screening be trained as to symptoms and consequences of withdrawal from addictive drugs.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 5-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-06-01 - To Health & Aging
[HB249 Detail]Download: Ohio-2011-HB249-Introduced.html
As Introduced
| 129th General Assembly | | Regular Session | | 2011-2012 |
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Cosponsors:
Representatives Letson, Pillich, Murray, Antonio
A BILL
| To enact section 5120.101 of the Revised Code to | 1 |
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require health-trained personnel to perform a | 2 |
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medical, dental, and mental health screening on | 3 |
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each inmate upon arrival at a jail, to establish | 4 |
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procedures that health-trained personnel must | 5 |
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follow if an inmate is taking xanax, ativan, | 6 |
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valium, or any other benzodiazepine, and to | 7 |
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provide that the sheriff ensure that | 8 |
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health-trained personnel responsible for medical, | 9 |
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dental, and mental health screening be trained as | 10 |
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to symptoms and consequences of withdrawal from | 11 |
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:
| Section 1. That section 5120.101 of the Revised Code be | 13 |
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enacted to read as follows: | 14 |
| Sec. 5120.101. (A) This section applies to a jail that is | 15 |
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used primarily to confine inmates charged with or convicted of any | 16 |
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crime in this state or under the laws of the United States for one | 17 |
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hundred twenty hours or more. | 18 |
| (B) The sheriff who oversees a jail shall ensure that the | 19 |
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health-trained personnel responsible for conducting medical, | 20 |
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dental, or mental health screening under division (C) of this | 21 |
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section are trained as to the symptoms, consequences, and | 22 |
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treatment options of withdrawal from benzodiazepines, alcohol, and | 23 |
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other addictive drugs prior to the health-trained personnel | 24 |
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conducting a medical, dental, or mental health screening. The jail | 25 |
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physician or physician servicing the jail shall ensure that | 26 |
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adequate measures are in place to identify and treat inmates at | 27 |
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risk of withdrawal from addictive drugs. | 28 |
| (C)(1) Health-trained personnel shall perform a medical, | 29 |
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dental, and mental health screening on each inmate upon arrival at | 30 |
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the jail and shall record the findings of the screening. The | 31 |
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screening shall include inquiry into the inmate's use of alcohol | 32 |
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and drugs, including the type of alcohol or drug used, the | 33 |
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frequency and amount used, the date or time of last use, and the | 34 |
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history of any problems after ceasing use. | 35 |
| (2) If health-trained personnel discover that an inmate is | 36 |
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taking xanax, ativan, valium, or any other benzodiazepine, the | 37 |
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health-trained personnel shall attempt to verify the prescription | 38 |
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with the prescribing physician within twenty-four hours of the | 39 |
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inmate being admitted to the jail. If health-trained personnel are | 40 |
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unable to verify the prescription in that time period, the | 41 |
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health-trained personnel shall arrange for the inmate to meet with | 42 |
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a psychiatrist within seventy-two hours of the inmate being | 43 |
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admitted to the jail to ensure that, if the psychiatrist considers | 44 |
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it necessary, the benzodiazepine is tapered off in a timely and | 45 |
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clinically appropriate manner using appropriate, less addictive | 46 |
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medication. If health-trained personnel verify the prescription | 47 |
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within twenty-four hours of the inmate being admitted to the jail, | 48 |
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the jail physician or physician servicing the jail shall ensure | 49 |
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that the benzodiazepine is tapered off in a timely and clinically | 50 |
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appropriate manner using appropriate, less addictive medication. | 51 |
| (D) This section shall be commonly known as "Sean's Law."
| 52 |
| (E) As used in this section, "health-trained personnel" means | 53 |
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members of the jail staff who are trained in limited aspects of | 54 |
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heath care, including any correctional officers and other | 55 |
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personnel approved by the jail physician or physician servicing | 56 |
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the jail. | 57 |
