Under existing law, unlawful distribution of a controlled substance is a Class B felony.
This bill would create McGough's Law to create the crime of drug delivery resulting in death. The bill would provide that when, without intent to cause death, a person directly or indirectly sells, furnishes, gives away, delivers, or distributes a controlled substance in violation of the law and the use of the controlled substance is a contributing cause of death of another to whom the controlled substance is directly or indirectly sold, furnished, given, delivered, or distributed, the person is guilty of the crime.
This bill would create the crime of drug delivery resulting in serious physical injury and would provide that when, without intent to cause serious physical injury, a person directly or indirectly sells, furnishes, gives away, delivers, or distributes a controlled substance in violation of the law and the use of the controlled substance is a contributing cause of serious physical injury of another to whom the controlled substance is directly or indirectly sold, furnished, given, delivered, or distributed, the person is guilty of the crime.
This bill would specify that the bill does not apply to health care professionals and pharmacists who are in the legitimate practice of the healing arts.
Amendment 621 of the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, now appearing as Section 111.05 of the Official Recompilation of the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, as amended, prohibits a general law whose purpose or effect would be to require a new or increased expenditure of local funds from becoming effective with regard to a local governmental entity without enactment by a 2/3 vote unless: it comes within one of a number of specified exceptions; it is approved by the affected entity; or the Legislature appropriates funds, or provides a local source of revenue, to the entity for the purpose.
The purpose or effect of this bill would be to require a new or increased expenditure of local funds within the meaning of the amendment. However, the bill does not require approval of a local governmental entity or enactment by a 2/3 vote to become effective because it comes within one of the specified exceptions contained in the amendment.
Read for the first time and referred to the House of Representatives committee on Judiciary
Source: Alabama Legislature