Act 18 of 2025 is now in effect — Senate Bill 92 awaits action in the House
HARRISBURG — Sen. Doug Mastriano’s (R-33) held a press conference today to highlight his efforts as chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee to combat drug overdoses in Pennsylvania.
In June, the General Assembly unanimously passed and the governor signed into law Senate Bill 89 — now Act 18 of 2025. Act 18 took effect on Jan. 1.
The legislation builds on the framework established in 2022 through Act 158, the Overdose Mapping Act, and would ensure known or suspected drug overdoses treated by emergency medical services (EMS) providers are tracked in the statewide overdose mapping system. EMS providers would report the date and time of the overdose; location where it occurred; known or suspected controlled substances administered or inhaled, ingested, imbibed or injected by the victim; details about any overdose reversal drugs administered; and whether the situation was fatal or nonfatal.
“Our EMS providers are an essential part of our local first responder teams and are often the first to encounter individuals experiencing overdoses,” Mastriano said. “The inclusion of their overdose reports in the statewide mapping system arms our law enforcement and health care personnel with more information to aid them in fighting the heroin and opioid epidemic Pennsylvania continues to face.”
The new law is supported by law enforcement and the EMS community.
“The Overdose Information Network (ODIN) is one of the most powerful tools we have in the fight to save lives,” said Lt. Col. George Bivens, acting commissioner of the Pennsylvania State Police. “ODIN allows law enforcement and public health partners to share information about overdoses and Naloxone administrations and identify drug packaging. By connecting these data points, we can identify emerging threats sooner and coordinate more effectively across agencies. ODIN strengthens our collective ability to protect communities and prevent tragedies.”
“With an evolving and unpredictable drug supply facing both the commonwealth and the nation, cross-sector information and data sharing are critical to maintaining situational awareness,” said Brian A. Michael, director of the Liberty Mid-Atlantic High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program. “The addition of EMS data into ODIN, and subsequently the HIDTA administered Overdose Detection and Mapping Application Program, improves the effectiveness and efficiency of these tools in the fight against this insidious epidemic.”
“From both a clinical and public health standpoint, timely and accurate data are essential to understanding overdose patterns and the resulting demand on the emergency care system,” said Alvin Wang, an EMS physician and president of the Pennsylvania Emergency Health Services Council. “Modernizing overdose event reporting by allowing EMS to meet reporting requirements through existing EMS patient care records enables the use of high-quality clinical data without imposing a second, duplicative documentation burden on front-line clinicians or breaching confidentiality. EMS is there first, providing care in real time, and this modernization supports the workforce by maximizing administrative efficiency and strengthening the systems that enable timely, effective response.”
Mastriano has also introduced Senate Bill 92 — “Tyler’s Law” — and urged its passage in the House of Representatives.
Under Senate Bill 92, an individual who sells or engages in a monetary transaction to distribute fentanyl resulting in a death would face a mandatory minimum 25-year sentence upon conviction. This mandatory minimum penalty would not apply to drug users who share drugs with friends or family members or those who seek medical help for individuals who overdose.
“I named this legislation after 18-year-old Tyler Shanafelter, who died after taking what he thought was just Percocet — tragically, it was laced with fentanyl,” Mastriano said. “Tyler’s Law sends a clear, uncompromising message. If you knowingly sell fentanyl that kills someone in Pennsylvania, you will face a mandatory 25-year prison sentence.”
Senate Bill 92 awaits action in the House Judiciary Committee.
“Together, Act 18 and Tyler’s Law form the foundation of a stronger, smarter and more compassionate response to the opioid crisis,” Mastriano said. “We are not backing down. We are fighting for our communities, for our families and for every Pennsylvanian who has lost someone they love to this epidemic. Because behind every law we pass is a life we’re trying to save.”
Click HERE for video from the press conference.
Constituents of the 33rd Senatorial District can learn more about Mastriano by visiting his website or following him on Facebook.
CONTACT: Nate Silcox, 717-787-4651