Fentanyl delivery resulting in death; extend repealer on Parker's Law creating the crime of.
Summary
House Bill 967 extends the sunset date for Mississippi’s “Parker’s Law,” the statute that creates the crime of fentanyl delivery resulting in death. The bill does not create a new offense; instead, it keeps in place the existing felony provision that applies when a person knowingly delivers fentanyl, and a death results from its use by injection, ingestion, or inhalation. The law continues to impose a sentence of at least 20 years up to life imprisonment for a conviction under this section.
The bill also preserves the statute’s built-in protections and clarifications. It maintains the provision that a person who, in good faith and without intent to defraud, seeks medical help for someone experiencing a fentanyl overdose cannot be prosecuted under this section based on evidence obtained from that request for aid. It further clarifies that “in exchange for anything of value” does not include sharing fentanyl in a way that results in death, and it states legislative intent to target traffickers or others who profit from unlawful fentanyl sales rather than drug users or addicts who share drugs with friends or associates.
Impact
HB967 amends Section 41-29-139.1 of the Mississippi Code to move the repealer date for Parker’s Law from July 1, 2025 to July 1, 2028, thereby extending the life of the fentanyl-delivery-resulting-in-death offense for three additional years. The bill also keeps in force the annual reporting requirement for the Joint Legislative Committee on Performance Evaluation and Expenditure Review (PEER) to report convictions to the House and Senate Judiciary B Committees. Its practical effect is to continue Mississippi’s enhanced criminal penalty framework for fentanyl-related deaths and to preserve the statute’s overdose-assistance immunity and related definitions for law enforcement and prosecutors.
Sentiment
The available voting history shows strong support in the House, where the bill passed 114-0 on February 5, 2025. No committee transcript excerpts were provided, but the bill’s text reflects a generally punitive but targeted approach to fentanyl trafficking, paired with an explicit policy preference not to punish people who seek emergency help during an overdose. Overall, the sentiment appears broadly favorable and focused on continuing an existing public-safety measure rather than expanding it.
Contention
The main point of potential contention is the scope of criminal liability under Parker’s Law. The statute is aimed at people who sell or profit from unlawful fentanyl, but the text acknowledges concern that it could otherwise be used against drug users or addicts who share fentanyl with friends. The bill addresses that concern by clarifying legislative intent and by excluding overdose-aid seekers from prosecution based on evidence obtained through their request for medical assistance. Another issue is the policy choice to extend a serious felony provision with a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years, which may draw debate over deterrence, proportionality, and the treatment of fentanyl-related deaths in the criminal justice system.