FRESNO – Assemblyman Jim Patterson announced Friday that he has been appointed as a member of the newly created Assembly Select Committee on Fentanyl, Opioid Addiction, and Overdose Prevention.
Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon announced the creation of the committee in a press release late Friday.
Patterson has authored several bills pertaining to opioid abuse and fentanyl-related overdoses. The most recent, AB 2365, was approved unanimously in every committee and on both the Assembly and Senate Floors. It is currently sitting on the Governor’s desk awaiting his signature.
AB 2365 would create six pilot projects within local government agencies (i.e. education, law enforcement, public health, etc.) to increase awareness and education about the dangers of fentanyl and support law enforcement efforts to track down and arrest dealers. Assemblyman Patterson has requested three million dollars in total to fund the six projects. The exact amount of each grant will be determined at a later date.