An Act relative to preventing overdose deaths and increasing access to treatment

This bill (HD 4212) creates legal protections for harm reduction programs aimed at reducing overdose deaths and improving access to treatment. It defines "harm reduction programs" to include services like needle exchanges, overdose reversal, and referrals to treatment, and grants immunity from arrest, lawsuits, and property seizures for program operators, participants, and property owners when operating under department approval. The law also prohibits searches based on program use, requires annual department reports on program effectiveness, and exempts approved programs from certain registration requirements under Chapter 94C. It directly affects program operators, people accessing services, property owners, and government employees involved in approvals.