PROVIDENCE, R.I. — The expiration of a law that protects Rhode Islanders who call 911 to assist drug overdose victims will lead to more senseless drug overdose deaths, public health advocates said Wednesday.

The good Samaritan law, which offered limited immunity from drug charges for those who are overdosing and those who are calling for emergency assistance, expired Wednesday. Enacted in 2012, the law also protected from civil liability or criminal prosecution those who administer naloxone, also known as Narcan, to someone they believe has overdosed.

“Tragically, this is a death sentence for so many Rhode Islanders struggling with addiction and for many in recovery,” said Rebecca Nieves McGoldrick, executive director of nonprofit organization Protect Families First.

Nieves McGoldrick was one of several advocates at Wednesday’s rally at the State House who called on Gov. Gina Raimondo to sign an executive order that would put comparable protections in place.

Raimondo appeared unexpectedly and briefly at the rally to urge lawmakers to restore the law and to encourage people to continue to call 911.

“It’s an unacceptable situation, and I urge the General Assembly to reinstate these protections as quickly as they’re able to,” Raimondo said. “We need to ensure Rhode Island’s response to the overdose epidemic is first and foremost focused on saving lives.”

Nearly 240 people fatally overdosed last year in Rhode Island, and more than 90 percent of those involved opioids, according to state Health Department data. The state’s overdose deaths have grown by more than 70 percent over the last five years.

A spokeswoman for Raimondo did not respond to messages asking whether Raimondo would sign an executive order.

Raimondo said it was “frustrating and disappointing” that the General Assembly ended the legislative session without approving one bill that would reauthorize the law.

The Senate passed an expanded version of the law that would offer immunity from possession with intent to deliver, but the House passed a version that would not offer immunity from such a charge.

“We had some real concerns about the provisions that would have extended protections to those with possession with intent to deliver, which is a very serious offense,” said Larry Berman, a spokesman for House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello.

Berman said lawmakers’ failure to extend the law was an unintended consequence of an impasse between both legislative chambers. A spokesman for Senate President Teresa Paiva Weed said the Senate intends to take up the bill once it reconvenes for judicial appointments.

Attorney General Peter Kilmartin has expressed opposition to the expanded version of the law, saying it would limit the ability to prosecute many drug crimes, namely the delivery of drugs. Kilmartin is advising police departments to request a substance abuse assessment as a condition of bail for individuals who would have previously been protected under the good Samaritan law.