What's happening
This bill requires state, city, and sheriff's police in New York to be trained in opioid overdose response and carry naloxone.
Why it matters
Standardizes overdose response. By mandating opioid antagonist (e.g., naloxone) training and carriage for most state, city, and sheriff’s law enforcement, the bill aims to ensure a consistent, rapid response to overdoses across New York, potentially reducing deaths regardless of location.
Creates a data feedback loop. Requiring officers to report every suspected overdose response involving opioid antagonists to the Department of Health will generate valuable data, potentially informing future public health strategies and resource allocation.
Allows for local opt-out. City and county governments can officially opt out by passing a resolution and stating their reasons, which may address concerns about costs, logistics, or local autonomy, but could also create uneven coverage and outcomes across the state.
Ongoing training and coordination. The law includes not just initial training but biennial refreshers, and requires officers to follow protocols and coordinate with emergency medical services, emphasizing procedural rigor and ongoing competency in overdose response.
Albany, before your first meeting.
Every bill that moved yesterday, summarized in a sentence and ranked by impact. The Albany Scorecard follows on Sundays.
Free. Unsubscribe in one click. Want alerts on specific bills? Create an account.
Who cares
Headline styles
Cops Must Carry Naloxone
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
Senator · Senate District 4
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to finance
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Require Police Carry Naloxone
In Assembly Committee · Codes · Sponsor Addie Jenne
Full text
3 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
8550
IN SENATE
May 9, 2018
Introduced by Sen. BOYLE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Finance
AN ACT to amend the executive law, the county law and the general municipal law, in relation to requiring members of the state police, city police departments and sheriff's departments to be trained in the administration of opioid antagonists; and providing for the repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 221-e to read as follows:
§ 221-e. Opioid antagonist training and use. 1. Definitions. As used in this section, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
(a) "Opioid" means an opiate as defined in section thirty-three hundred two of the public health law.
(b) "Opioid antagonist" means a federal food and drug administrationapproved drug that, when administered, negates or neutralizes in whole or in part the pharmacological effects of an opioid in the body. The opioid antagonist is limited to naloxone or other medications approved by the department of health for this purpose.
2. All members of the state police shall be required to be trained in the administration of opioid antagonists and shall carry opioid antagonists in their vehicles when on duty, whenever reasonably practical.
3. All members of the state police shall:
(a) complete an initial training program, which may include a department of health registered opioid overdose prevention training program;
(b) complete a refresher training program at least every two years;
(c) contact the emergency medical system during any response to a victim of a suspected drug overdose and advise if an opioid antagonist is being used;
(d) comply with protocols for response to victims of suspected drug overdose; and
(e) report all responses to victims of suspected drug overdose to the department of health.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02534-01-7
S. 8550 2
§ 2. The county law is amended by adding a new section 663 to read as follows:
§ 663. Opioid antagonist training and use. 1. Definitions. As used in this section, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
(a) "Opioid" means an opiate as defined in section thirty-three hundred two of the public health law.
(b) "Opioid antagonist" means a federal food and drug administrationapproved drug that, when administered, negates or neutralizes in whole or in part the pharmacological effects of an opioid in the body. The opioid antagonist is limited to naloxone or other medications approved by the department of health for this purpose.
2. All sheriffs, undersheriffs, and deputy sheriffs shall be required to be trained in the administration of opioid antagonists and shall carry opioid antagonist in their vehicles when on duty, whenever reasonably practical; provided, however, that county governments may opt out of this provision by adopting a resolution stating their reasons for not participating.
3. All sheriffs, undersheriffs and deputy sheriffs shall:
(a) complete an initial training program, which may include a department of health registered opioid overdose prevention training program;
(b) complete a refresher training program at least every two years;
(c) contact the emergency medical system during any response to a victim of suspected drug overdose and advise if an opioid antagonist is being used;
(d) comply with protocols for response to victims of suspected drug overdose; and
(e) report all responses to victims of suspected drug overdose to the department of health.
§ 3. The general municipal law is amended by adding a new section 209-ff to read as follows:
§ 209-ff. Opioid antagonist training and use. 1. Definitions. As used in this section, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
(a) "Opioid" means an opiate as defined in section thirty-three hundred two of the public health law.
(b) "Opioid antagonist" means a federal food and drug administrationapproved drug that, when administered, negates or neutralizes in whole or in part the pharmacological effects of an opioid in the body. The opioid antagonist is limited to naloxone or other medications approved by the department of health for this purpose.
2. All members of a police department organized at the city level shall be required to be trained in the administration of opioid antagonists and shall carry opioid antagonists in their vehicles when on duty, whenever reasonably practical; provided, however, that city governments may opt out of this provision by adopting a resolution stating their reasons for not participating.
3. All members of a police department organized at the city level shall:
(a) complete an initial training program, which may include a department of health registered opioid overdose prevention training program;
(b) complete a refresher training program at least every two years;
(c) contact the emergency medical system during any response to a victim of suspected drug overdose and advise if an opioid antagonist is being used;
(d) comply with protocols for response to victims of suspected drug overdose; and
S. 8550 3
(e) report all responses to victims of suspected drug overdose to the department of health.
§ 4. This act shall take effect one year after it shall have become a law and shall expire and be deemed repealed six years after such date.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the executive law, the county law and the general munic- ipal law, in relation to requiring members of the state police, city police departments and sheriff's departments to be trained in the admin- istration of opioid antagonists; and providing for the repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof
Purpose
To inform and prepare law enforcement officers, who are typically the first responders in opioid overdose situations, to be able to administer naloxone - an opioid antagonist.
Summary of provisions
Section one amends the executive law to require all members of the state police to be trained in the administration of opioid antagonists. It is also required that the state police carry opioid antagonists in their vehicles when on duty.
Section two amends the county law to require all sheriffs, undersher- iffs, and deputy sheriffs to be trained and held to the same protocols regarding opioid antagonists as the state police in section one. County governments may opt-out by adopting a resolution stating their reasons for not participating.
Section three amends the general municipal law to require all members of a city police department to be trained and held to the same protocols regarding opioid antagonists as the state police in section one. City governments may opt-out by adopting a resolution stating their reasons for not participating.
Section four provides this act shall take effect one year after it becomes law and shall expire and be deemed repealed six years after such date.
Justification
After an opioid overdose timely medical intervention is of the essence and any reduction in reaction time can save lives. As of December 31, 2015, law enforcement agencies from 56 counties in New York State have reported to the state Department of Health the use of naloxone. Accord- ing to 2015 New York State Opioid Poisoning, Overdose and Prevention report prepared by the Department of Health, 75.8 percent of those naloxone administrations involved a heroin overdose and 42.4 percent involved a person between the ages of 25 and 34. The efficacy of nalox- one can be seen in the rate of success: "As 2015 ended, 770 trained law enforcement responders reported that 958 individuals (87.3 percent) to whom they had administered naloxone responded to it. Fifty-two of them (4.7percent) did not live." As of the end of 2015 nearly 8,000 law enforcement agents have received training in the use of naloxone, but with the opioid and heroin epidemic continuing to ravage communities across New York State more work is needed. From 2009 to 2013, the last full year for which data are available, the number of heroin related deaths increased by 163 percent to 637 while opioid analgesics increased by 30 percent to 952. Equipping state police, sheriff departments, and city police departments with the tools and training they need to be as effective as possible on the front lines of the opioid and heroin addiction epidemic is a common sense step forward.
Legislative history
A10492 of 2016 - referred to Codes Committee.
Fiscal implications
To be determined.
Effective date
This act shall take effect one year after it becomes law and shall expire and be deemed repealed six years after such date.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.