SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO AM) - A bill designed to offer immunity to Good Samaritans who are high on drugs when they aid someone during a drug overdose was pushed to the 41st day in Pierre.
Paul Bachand with the South Dakota State's Attorney's Association says you can't legislate good behavior after a night of bad behavior.
Bachand says the Association wanted to amend the bill so that those involved would have to cooperate with law enforcement to include divulging where the drugs came from. He says that was defeated earlier in session and adds that it leaves the measure incomplete.
Dick Tiezen, representing the South Dakota Sheriff's Association, questions if the bill discourages a person from using drugs again. Tiezen says immunity under the bill would be unlimited for every drug abuser in every drug setting.
Senator Larry Tidemann of Brookings says under the bill the person providing the medical assistance has to make the call, be cooperative with first responders, not be abusive or resisting but must be assisting.
Tidemann says he's all in support of finding the person distributing the drugs "but you cannot get that information from a dead person."
He says the legislature last year passed a possession and immunity measure for those who are under age and consuming alcohol.