BILL NUMBER: S3112A
SPONSOR: MANNION
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the public buildings law and the public health law, in
relation to requiring public institutions and buildings to be equipped
with opioid antagonists
 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
The purpose of this bill is to require that public institutions and
buildings are equipped with opioid antagonists.
 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Section 1 of this bill would establish that this act shall be known as
"Erin's Law".
Section 2 of this bill would amend the Public Buildings Law to require
the Commissioner of General Services to promulgate regulations, in coor-
dination with the Commissioner of Health to provide for a phase-in sche-
dule of the duty to effectuate the equipment of public institutions and
buildings with opioid antagonists.
Section 3 of this bill would amend the Public Health Law to require the
Commissioner of Health to coordinate with the Commissioner of General
Services to effectuate the duty to equip public institutions and build-
ings with opioid antagonists.
Section 4 of this bill provides that the effective date one year after
it shall have become a law..
 
JUSTIFICATION:
In November of 2019, a young woman named Erin lost her life in Roches-
ter, NY to an accidental Fentanyl overdose. Her relapse after months of
sobriety took her life. Like so many individuals that have fallen victim
to substance use disorder, her life had great meaning and immense worth.
Addiction is a disease that plagues 21 million Americans, and yet only
10% of them receive treatment. This disease is rapidly growing, and more
lives are being lost. Erin lost her life in a public space, and if
Narcan had been readily available and administered to her, her life
could have been saved. Action must be taken to avoid the loss of more
lives, which is the goal of this legislation. By making opioid antag-
onists available in first aid kits, more lives can potentially be saved.
The current opioid epidemic is the deadliest drug crisis in American
history, which has reached critical levels in New York State. "Families
Against Fentanyl," an opioid awareness organization, analyzed data from
U.S. government sources in 2020 and 2021 and found that fentanyl over-
doses are now the leading cause of death for Americans aged between 18
and 45. In 2021, The Center for Disease Control and Prevention also
found that 175 people die every day in the United States due to over-
doses, many of which could have been prevented with proper training and
education of how to administer Narcan or naloxone. With thousands of New
Yorkers dying at the hands of this epidemic, it is essential that public
facilities across the state be required to carry, and have personnel
trained in the proper education and administration of, these lifesaving
drugs. Opioid antagonists like naloxone allow for trained administrators
to reverse an overdose on the spot. Research shows that public overdoses
make up a large percentage of the overdose cases statewide. Unfortunate-
ly, access to naloxone is still extremely limited, and establishments
that might be able to offer lifesaving administration of an opioid
antagonist are not required to have these drugs on site. As the state
Department of Health and various agencies take steps towards combating
the issue, it is crucial to strengthen protection measures for our
people. With an increased distribution and education of Narcan, more
lives can potentially be saved. Maintaining on-site opioid antagonists
in public places and equipping staff with the knowledge of administering
these life-saving medications are common sense solutions to potentially
preventing more fatalities. Fatal opioid overdose deaths are preventa-
ble. The keys to lowering the death toll are education, which helps to
fight the crippling stigma associated with the disease of addiction,
along with increased availability or distribution of opioid antagonists.
Having Narcan in first aid kits will allow for better access, and thus
more potential for saving lives. We must act now to prevent more deadly
overdoses.
Opioid antagonists, such as naloxone/Narcan or any other similarly
acting drug approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration,
have proven to be effective in the treatment of an opioid overdose.
Specifically, naloxone is an opioid blocker/receptor, which counteracts
life-threatening opioid overdoses by reversing the depression of the
central nervous system and respiratory system; thus, allowing an over-
dose victim's breathing to be restored. Naloxone is a non-addictive
medication that has no effect if opioids are absent. This ensures that
administration of naloxone has no potential for abuse and is safe for
administration by a person who is educated and trained for moments of
crisis. This bill would require that public institutions and buildings
are equipped with opioid antagonists.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2021-22: S.8708-A (Mannion)- Passed Senate.
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
To be determined.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

Statutes affected:
S3112A: 140 public buildings law, 3309 public health law