By Whitney Downard | Pennsylvania Capital-Star
Starting this year, emergency medical service providers are now required to report known or suspected overdoses to a statewide mapping system overseen by the Pennsylvania State Police.
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It’s the result of a new law sponsored by Sen. Doug Mastriano (R-Franklin).
The Overdose Information Network previously included reports from law enforcement, which Mastriano said excluded an estimated 80% of fatal and nonfatal overdoses where EMS responded.
“This isn’t just data collection,” said Mastriano. “It’s about saving lives.”
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Collecting information in one place could allow first responders to identify “bad batches” of drugs, such as concoctions with higher amounts of fentanyl or other addictive compounds, Mastriano said.
“All of us are flawed people, sinners, and we struggle with things. And sometimes people end up in the throes of addiction,” said Mastriano. “When people are stuck in addiction, we don’t want them to die in Pennsylvania. We want to try to save their lives.”
In 2023, 4,719 Pennsylvanians died from an overdose and there were 37,371 nonfatal suspected overdoses, according to the state Department of Health. Fatal overdoses dropped by 29% in 2024 to 3,341 — though the most recent state report doesn’t include a figure for nonfatal overdoses.
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According to state data, Bucks County reported 132 fatal overdoses in 2023 and 97 in 2024.
Senate Bill 89, now Act 18, passed both chambers unanimously and was signed into law in June. A companion bill sponsored by Mastriano, Senate Bill 92, passed out of the Senate in April on a 33-16 vote.
It would impose a mandatory 25-year minimum sentence on anyone who sells or distributes fentanyl that kills another person. The proposal targets dealers who might otherwise “cut deals for lenient sentencing,” as detailed in an accompanying memo.
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The measure hasn’t advanced in the House.
Mastriano left the stage after his portion of the press conference, and did not respond to questions about whether or not he would run for governor.
He was resoundingly defeated by now-Gov. Josh Shapiro in 2022. Opponents of his campaign repeatedly highlighted Mastriano’s role in supporting President Donald Trump’s attempt to overturn the 2020 election, including his presence outside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, when rioters stormed the building and drove Congress from its chambers to disrupt the vote certification.
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Shapiro is expected to officially launch his campaign for reelection this week. State Treasurer Stacy Garrity received the Pennsylvania GOP’s endorsement for the party’s nomination in September, but Mastriano hasn’t ruled out running again. No other Republican has announced plans to run.
Pennsylvania Capital-Star is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Pennsylvania Capital-Star maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Tim Lambert for questions: info@penncapital-star.com.
