McCombie’s bill-turned-law expanding fentanyl testing strip access statewide now in effect

DIXON – A bill sponsored by state Rep. Tony McCombie, R-Savanna, aimed at expanding access to fentanyl testing strips across Illinois – and later turned into law – has now gone into effect.

Getting its start as SB 3350, a bill sponsored by McCombie and state Sen. Laura Ellman, D-Naperville, the law amends the Substance Abuse Disorder Act to expand the availability and distribution of free fentanyl testing strips to include social service organizations, local pharmacies and possibly schools or other community-based entities.

SB 3350 was introduced in the Illinois General Assembly on Feb. 18, 2022. Gov. JB Pritzker signed the bill into law Aug. 13, 2022, after it passed through the Illinois House and Senate.

However, the portion of the bill expanding fentanyl testing strip distribution did not take effect until Jan. 1.

“Prior to this bill, we had passed legislation that county health departments could distribute the testing strips at their facilities,” McCombie said in an interview with Shaw Media. “This expands that. The bill also allowed for the Illinois Department of Human Services to establish and authorize a program for dispensing fentanyl strips.”

Fentanyl is a lethal opioid that can be fatal even in small doses. Test strips allow individuals to detect the presence of fentanyl in substances before consuming them.

“A lot of these cases we hear about, they don’t even know that they are taking fentanyl or that there’s fentanyl laced in their drugs,” McCombie said.

According to the Illinois Department of Public Health’s Opioid Data Dashboard, there were 3,261 opioid overdose deaths throughout the state in 2022 – an 8.2% increase over 2021. Eleven of the 2022 overdose deaths were in Whiteside County, one was in Lee County, and six were in Ogle County, according to the dashboard.

“Last year, the [Drug Enforcement Administration] seized over 55 million fentanyl pills and 8,000 pounds of fentanyl powder,” McCombie said. “That equates to over 367 million deadly doses.”

McCombie said that she and other state legislators plan to keep that momentum going.

“State Rep. Patrick Windhorst has a bill, HB 4151, which will create an offense for fentanyl-related child endangerment,” McCombie said. “I will refile my bill, HB 3210, which increases penalties for those knowingly and unlawfully selling and dispensing contaminated drugs. There was a local case in our area where the drug dealer had cut cocaine with fentanyl. There were several deaths with that situation.”

McCombie plans to work with the IDHS while it builds a program that expands the distribution of fentanyl testing strips. The IDHS’ Division of Substance Use Prevention and Recovery oversees the Drug Overdose Prevention Program, which allows organizations to order free Narcan, a form of naloxone used to reverse opioid overdoses, through the DOPP’s Access Narcan program.

For more information, visit the IDHS website at dhs.state.il.us.