Congress·In Committee·H.R. 4607

SEEK HELP Act

Bipartisan Bill Proposes Legal Protections for People Who Call 911 During Drug Overdoses

12 months ago·View on Congress.gov·Read full text

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Stalled

No legislative action in over 90 days.

Legislative Progress

House

Senate

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Law

Key Points

This bill creates "Good Samaritan" rules at the federal level to save lives during drug emergencies. It protects people from being sued if they give overdose-reversal medicine to someone in need. It also prevents the government from charging someone with drug possession if the police only found out about the drugs because the person called for help.
The policy affects anyone who witnesses or experiences a drug overdose. Currently, many people are afraid to call 911 because they fear being arrested or sued. This law aims to remove that fear so that bystanders focus on getting medical help immediately instead of worrying about legal consequences.
To make sure the law works, the government would launch a public awareness campaign. This would teach the public and police officers about these new protections. States would also be allowed to use federal grant money to train emergency workers and track whether these laws are successfully reducing overdose deaths in their communities.
There are important limits to these protections. They do not stop the police from arresting someone who has an active warrant or is committing other serious crimes. Additionally, the law does not protect people who act with extreme recklessness or intentionally try to cause harm while pretending to help.

HealthcareCriminal Justice

Impact Analysis

Personal Impact

Life & Work

People who use drugs and witness or experience an overdose would gain federal protection from prosecution for drug possession if they call 911 or seek medical help. This removes one of the biggest barriers to calling for help during an emergency — fear of arrest. For people with prior records or on supervised release, this is especially significant because it also shields them from revocation of supervised release under federal law.

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Activities

State Impacts

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Scores: 1 = low, 5 = highSentiment: -5 to +5 (net benefit)

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions

Jul 22, 2025House

Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.

Jul 22, 2025

Introduced in House

The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.

Votes

No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.

News

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Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

SEEK HELP Act

Bill NumberHR 4607

Congress119th Congress

ChamberHouse of Representatives

Latest ActionReferred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.