HB 271

Abstract

Public secondary schools; naloxone procurement, possession, and administration; school board employee training and certification; opioid overdose prevention and reversal instruction; guidelines and requirements. Requires each local school board to develop, in accordance with the guidelines developed by the Department of Health in collaboration with the Department of Education, plans and policies for each secondary school that includes grades nine through 12 relating to opioid overdose prevention and reversal, including: (i) the procurement, storage, and maintenance of at least two unexpired doses of naloxone at each such secondary school; (ii) the possession and administration of naloxone by school board employees authorized to and trained and certified in the administration of naloxone and the employment of at least one such school board employee at each such secondary school; and (iii) the development and implementation of an opioid overdose prevention and reversal program of instruction to be completed by each student as a part of the high school graduation requirements.The bill also requires each local school board to place at least two doses of naloxone in every public secondary school that includes grades nine through 12 in the local school division and to provide replacement doses as necessary. The bill requires each such secondary school to, pursuant to the policies developed by the Department of Health and the Department of Education, (a) ensure that at least one faculty or staff member is authorized to and trained and certified in the administration of naloxone and (b) provide an opioid overdose prevention and reversal program of instruction to be completed by each student as a high school graduation requirement. In addition, the bill modifies the school board employees who are authorized to administer naloxone or other opioid antagonists to include any school board employee who has completed training and is certified in the administration of naloxone by an organization authorized by DBHDS to provide such training and certification. Current law limits such authorization to school nurses or school board employees contracted by a school board to provide school health services.Finally, the bill directs the Department of Health and the Department of Education to collaborate to develop guidelines and policies for the implementation of the provisions of the bill and for the Department of Education to submit such guidelines to the House Committee on Appropriations, the House Committee on Education, the Senate Committee on Education and Health, and the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations by January 1, 2025. The bill requires such guidelines and policies to be implemented by each school board by the beginning of the 2026–2027 school year.