The Longview City Council has delayed action on its proposed child drug endangerment ordinance, which would make it a crime to recklessly expose minors to dangerous controlled substances such as fentanyl.

The proposal was first introduced in April after the local death of a 3-month-old from fentanyl exposure, and it was modeled after a similar ordinance adopted in Everett. Originally, it was designed to make exposing minors to Schedule I and II controlled substances a gross misdemeanor while exempting legally prescribed medications.

Earlier this month, the council voted, following a public hearing, to add protections for unborn children, but at last night’s meeting, Senior Assistant City Attorney James Goodman advised against including that language. He said that provision was unlikely to hold up under Washington state law.

Council members also heard concerns that the wording of the new law could be too broad, particularly regarding prescription and over-the-counter medications. One provision that was also questioned was the “reckless storage” of medication and how that is defined. Councilmember Ruth Kendall mentioned, in particular, the difference between a young child getting into medication and a teenager purposely stealing it from a cabinet.

The council voted unanimously to table the ordinance and revisit it at its second meeting in August after city staff clarifies the definition of controlled substances and addresses those concerns.