Public-domain · open source
OpenJurist

R.I. Gen. Laws § 21-28.9-4

Emergency overdose care — Immunity from legal repercussions

Known as the The Good Samaritan Overdose Prevention Act

The act spans §§ 21–21 (8 sections).

P.L. 2016, ch. 1, § 1; P.L. 2016, ch. 2, § 1; P.L. 2018, ch. 138, § 1; P.L. 2018, ch. 195, § 1; P.L. 2025, ch. 375, § 1, effective July 1, 2025; P.L. 2025, ch. 377, § 1, effecti…

(a) Any person who, in good faith, without malice and in the absence of evidence of an intent to defraud, seeks medical assistance for someone experiencing a drug or alcohol overdose or other drug- or alcohol-related medical emergency shall not be charged or prosecuted for any crime related to the possession of a controlled substance or drug paraphernalia, or the operation of a drug-involved premises, if the evidence for the charge was gained as a result of the seeking of medical assistance.

(b) A person who experiences a drug or alcohol overdose or other drug- or alcohol-related medical emergency and is in need of medical assistance shall not be charged or prosecuted for any crime related to the possession of a controlled substance or drug paraphernalia, possession or transportation of alcohol by an underage person, or the operation of a drug-involved premises, if the evidence for the charge was gained as a result of the overdose and the need for medical assistance.

(c) The act of providing first aid or other medical assistance to someone who is experiencing a drug or alcohol overdose or other drug- or alcohol-related medical emergency may be used as a mitigating factor in a criminal prosecution pursuant to the controlled substances act.

(d) The immunity related to the possession of a controlled substance or drug paraphernalia, possession or transportation of alcohol by an underage person, or the operation of a drug-involved premises afforded under this section shall also extend to a violation of bail, probation, and/or parole on those grounds.

Official source: Rhode Island General Assembly. Reproduced from public-domain Rhode Island statutes; confirm against the official source for the current text. Not legal advice.