Drug overdoses.

Existing law establishes various programs for the control of illegal drugs in California and requires the State Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs to place on its Internet Web site specified information on drug overdose trends in California, including county and state death rates, from existing data, in order to ascertain changes in the causes or rates of fatal and nonfatal drug overdoses for the preceding 5 years. This bill, until January 1, 2016, would establish, within the California Health and Human Services Agency, a temporary working group, as specified, to develop a plan to reduce the rate of fatal drug overdoses in the state. The bill would require the temporary working group to make recommendations to the Chair of the Senate Committee on Health and the Chair of Assembly Committee on Health on or before January 1, 2015. The bill would also establish a grant program within the California Health and Human Services Agency to provide funds for programs related to drug overdose prevention, recognition, and response education, as specified. The bill would appropriate $500,000 from the General Fund for this purpose in the 2014–15 fiscal year. The bill would also make related legislative findings and declarations.