(1) Existing law authorizes a school district, county office of education, and charter school to provide emergency naloxone hydrochloride or another opioid antagonist to school nurses and trained personnel who have volunteered, and authorizes school nurses and trained personnel to use naloxone hydrochloride or another opioid antagonist to provide emergency medical aid to persons suffering, or reasonably believed to be suffering, from an opioid overdose.
This bill, to be known as the School Safety and Opioid Overdose Prevention Act, would require a school district, county office of education, or charter school to ensure that (A) each school resource officer, as defined, while on duty at a school campus or school-sponsored activity, carries an opioid antagonist to provide emergency treatment to persons who are suffering, or reasonably believed to be suffering, from an opioid overdose and (B) each school resource officer, upon assignment to a schoolsite, and at least every 2 years thereafter, completes an opioid overdose recognition and response training, as specified. By imposing additional duties on local educational agencies, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would prohibit a school resource officer who administers an opioid antagonist while assigned to a schoolsite, and their employing or contracting entity, from being held liable in a civil action or being subject to criminal prosecution for the school resource officer's acts or omissions, unless those acts or omissions constitute gross negligence or willful and wanton misconduct, as provided.
The bill would require the State Department of Health Care Services, in consultation with the State Department of Education and the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training, to provide implementation guidance to local educational agencies and law enforcement agencies on accessing opioid antagonists at low or no cost and integrating overdose response into school safety planning.
(2) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.