Current Lifeline Law:
Grants immunity for: public intoxication, minor possession, minor consumption and minor transport to anyone who seeks care for a person with an alcohol-related medical emergency. To receive protection, the person must provide their full name, remain on the scene and cooperate with authorities.
indianalifeline.org
Proposed Changes:
If the changes are passed, the Lifeline Law also will grant the same protection for individuals younger than 21 who report any medical emergency like sexual assault or drug overdose, if alcohol is involved. The same cooperation is required.
in.gov
Ball State Good Neighbor Policy:
This policy provides the opportunity for students to have disciplinary action waived if they risked violations when calling for medical attention for another person.
Source: bsu.edu
• Senate Bill 227 proposes changes to Indiana Lifeline Law to include caller immunity for reporting drug overdoses and sexual assault.
• If SB 227 is passed, it will take effect July 1.
• Ball State’s Good Neighbor Policy provides the opportunity for students to have disciplinary action waived if they risked violations when calling for medical attention for another person.
Changes to the Indiana Lifeline Law could expand caller immunity coverage to those who report offenses including drug overdoses and sexual assault.
On Feb. 26, the House passed the changes, Senate Bill 227, unanimously with an amendment. The bill will return to Senate.
Under the law, those younger than 21 who call for medical assistance for someone suffering from alcohol-related emergencies can get immunity from alcohol-related offenses, such as minor consumption and minor transport.
The change will expand legal protection for a caller, younger than 21, reporting any medical emergency where alcohol is involved, including drug overdose or sexual assault.
Brandon Thomas, an Indiana State Excise officer, said he sees more alcohol related medical emergencies than drug overdoses, but this is just more protection.
“Being law enforcement officers, we’ll be on board [with the changes],” he said.
He said a problem with the Lifeline Law is that not enough students are aware of it and this expansion will give the law more attention.
“[We find] people left by friends,” Thomas said. “Maybe they weren’t that close of friends, but we see people passed out in houses and a few times in yards. Hopefully, maybe with the changes, more information will get out and they will be less afraid of being held accountable and more in touch with getting friends the help they need.”
Gene Burton, University Police Department police chief, agreed that education on the law is key.
“I believe [the law’s expansion] potentially could save lives,” he said.
Former Purdue student David Rosenthal was involved with the creation of the original Lifeline Law in 2012.
He also said the expansion will increase the law’s impact.
“It’s all important,” Rosenthal said. “There are a lot of serious situations with alcohol but also involve drugs or involve people that get hurt or injured — not just alcohol poisoning — but maybe they’ve been drinking and they fall down and they also need help.”
If passed, the bill will take effect July 1.
STUDENT GOVERNMENT WORKS TO EDUCATE
On Wednesday, the Student Government Association took steps to encourage the conversation on campus around the Lifeline Law.
SGA Senate passed a resolution that orientation leaders receive education on Lifeline Law and speak to their freshmen about the law during orientation.
Muncie Mayor Dennis Tyler sponsored the bill, which SGA Vice President Alyssa France and President Pro Tempore Jack Hesser authored.
France said she doesn’t think the average student knows about the Lifeline law.
“Whether it saves one life or twenty, it doesn’t matter,” she said. “In an emergency, [students] need to call help and not worry about getting in trouble. Providing this information is going to save a life eventually.”
Lindsey Speer, associate director of admissions and orientation, said she thinks this initiative can be implemented as early as this year’s summer orientation.
“It’s important because in the end, it relates to their health and well-being and [the] health of [the] student body and community,” she said. “We want to do whatever we can to make sure students are safe, healthy and responsible.”
Speer said it is too early to say exactly what form the education will take.
SGA said the conversation could take place during open time between orientation leaders and the freshmen, when they have the chance to ask questions.
Kevin Mullaney, SGA treasurer and a former orientation leader, said freshmen at orientation ask their leaders about the weekend life at Ball State before they ask about anything else.
“[Leaders can say], ‘Hey, this is here; you can save lives with this, don’t be afraid to use it,’” he said. “It’s really valuable and it will be a great help for incoming freshmen.”
Michael Gillilan, director of the office of Student Rights and Community Standards, encouraged the initiative to also include Ball State’s long-standing Good Neighbor Policy.
Under the policy, students are encouraged to call for help any time someone’s health may be at risk. The student can then try to get the disciplinary action waived if they revealed they violated the student code in order to help someone’s at risk.
“What we are trying to accomplish is that is reducing chances that someone will die or be harmed severely, especially through alcohol or drug overdose,” Gillilan said. “[Holding students accountable] is a secondary issue to student safety.”
Thomas said he has a daughter that attends Ball State and he wished more students knew about the Lifeline Law for everyone’s safety.
“If she did get into trouble, that somebody would be there to help her out and get her medical attention she needs,” he said. “Any parent that has kids going to college would like to know that. You can’t walk someone all the way through college. You just hope they make good decisions.”
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