BILL NUMBER: S5779
SPONSOR: FERNANDEZ
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the education law and the public health law, in relation
to requiring certain entities to stock opioid antagonists and to store
naloxone nasal sprays with or adjacent to automated external defibrilla-
tor cabinets
 
PURPOSE:
This bill would require certain entities to stock opioid antagonists and
to store naloxone nasal sprays in automated external defibrillator (AED)
cabinets.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 amends section 922 of the education law. Section 2 amends
section 3309 of the public health law. Section 3 amends section 3000-b
of the public health law. Section 4 sets the effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
The United States is in the midst of a devastating opioid epidemic With
opioid overdose deaths due to prescription opioids, heroin, and other
synthetic opioids (e.g., fentanyl) at an all-time high. According to
the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), opioids were
involved in 80,411 overdose deaths in 2021, which accounts for nearly
75W of all drug overdose deaths. Veterans are particularly vulnerable
compared to non-Veterans, given their higher prevalence of chronic pain
conditions and substance use disorders, including opioid dependence.
Naloxone (Narcan) and other opioid antagonists work to rapidly reverse
an opioid overdose by attaching to opioid receptors and reversing and
blocking the effects of opioid drugs. This quickly restores normal
breathing and wakes the individual from an overdose. It is important to
note that if naloxone and other opioid drugs are given to someone who
does not have opioids in their system, these opioid antagonists will
have no adverse health consequences on that individual.
In 2021, roughly 1.2 million doses of naloxone were dispensed by retail
pharmacies, and nearly all states have naloxone access laws that allow
pharmacists and/or qualified organizations to provide the medication
without a prescription. In nearly 40k of deaths resulting from a drug
overdose, a bystander was present. Making naloxone consistently avail-
able in the same location would allow bystanders to easily locate opioid
overdose reversal medications and help prevent a fatal overdose.
Evidence shows that states that have adopted expanded naloxone access
laws, have seen fatal opioid overdoses fall by an average of 27W46W.
Naloxone supply needs to be more prevalent and accessible to help reduce
opioid overdose deaths and save lives across the United States.
This legislation would help make naloxone and other opioid antagonists
readily accessible by storing the medicine in automated external defi-
brillator (AED) cabinets and would provide the consistency needed for
bystanders to know exactly where to find it.
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2024: A10406 (Wallace)
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
None.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding the date
after becoming law.

Statutes affected:
S5779: 922 education law, 3309 public health law, 3309(3) public health law