WASHINGTON, D.C. — The omnibus spending bill anticipated to receive final approval of Congress by Thursday night includes language known as “Jessie’s Law.”
The legislation is named after Jessie Grubb, a Charleston native who had battled opioid addiction for seven years before becoming sober and moving to Michigan. She was six-months clean when she underwent surgery for a running-related injury. The discharging doctor was unaware of Grubb’s addiction and prescribed her 50 oxycodone pills. She died the following day at the age of 30.
U.S. Senator Joe Manchin said he was able to get the Jessie’s Law wording in the spending bill.
“If there’s one thing that’s most satisfying is knowing that Jessie is going to live on by saving more and more lives because of what we know now,” Manchin said.
The language requires best practices to be established by the federal Department of Health and Human Services for hospitals and medical professionals, enabling them to have full knowledge of a patient’s opioid addiction following consent.
Jessie’s father, former Kanawha County State Senator David Grubb, said Thursday when addicted patients are discharged they will be discharged in a more caring and knowledgeable way.
“Those doctors, whether they are discharging doctors or treating physicians, will know from the very beginning that this individual is somebody who we have to treat differently and thankfully there are all kinds of alternative pain medications and pain therapies,” Grubb said.
Jessie’s mother, Kate Grubb, said she was thankful the language made it into the bill.
“We are fortunate that this has given Jessie’s death some meaning,” she said.
The U.S. Senate passed the bill creating Jessie’s Law last August but it did receive approval in the House. An identical version of “Jessie’s Law” was introduced in the House in March 2017. Republican Reps. Alex Mooney and Evan Jenkins were co-sponsors of the identical bill.