What's happening
This bill requires New York senior high schools to educate students about the 911 Good Samaritan Law and encourage calling 911 during drug or alcohol overdoses.
Why it matters
Promotes lifesaving action by reducing fear of arrest. By teaching students about the 911 Good Samaritan Law, the bill aims to remove the fear of legal consequences when calling for help during an overdose, potentially increasing the likelihood that students will seek emergency assistance and save lives.
Normalizes emergency response to overdoses. Incorporating this instruction into the health curriculum helps make calling 911 for overdoses a standard, encouraged response, shaping social norms around helping peers in crisis and reducing stigma associated with substance-related emergencies.
Ensures consistent and age-appropriate education. The bill requires the development of curriculum guidelines tailored to the needs and understanding of high school students, ensuring that information is accessible, accurate, and relevant to their experiences.
Supports schools with implementation. By authorizing school authorities to allocate resources, time, and materials for this instruction, the bill recognizes the practical needs of schools and aims to facilitate effective delivery of the new educational requirements.
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Who cares
Senior high school students
They would learn about New York’s 911 Good Samaritan law and its protections, with instruction encouraging them to call 911 when witnessing or experiencing a drug or alcohol overdose without fear of arrest.
Senior high schools and health educators
They would need to include instruction on the law in the health education curriculum.
State education commissioner
The commissioner would have to establish an age-appropriate curriculum through rules and regulations, tailored to pupils’ needs and abilities at successive grade levels.
School authorities
They would be authorized to provide facilities, instructional time, learning aids and curriculum resources for the overdose-related instruction.
Headline styles
Teach Teens When to Call 911
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
2 Co-sponsors
History
- Referred to education
- Referred to education
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
99
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY (Prefiled)
January 8, 2025
Introduced by M. of A. ROSENTHAL, SIMON, McMAHON -- read once and referred to the Committee on Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to requiring instruction in senior high schools regarding calling 911 when witnessing or experiencing a drug or alcohol overdose
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 804-e to read as follows:
§ 804-e. Instruction related to witnessing or experiencing a drug or alcohol overdose. 1. Instructions regarding the provisions of section 220.78 of the penal law, also known as the "New York state 911 good Samaritan law", shall be included as a part of the health education curriculum in all senior high schools. Such course of instruction shall educate pupils on the protections of such law, including but not limited to, the lawfulness of calling 911 when witnessing or experiencing a drug or alcohol overdose that requires emergency medical care, and shall encourage pupils to call 911 when witnessing or experiencing a drug or alcohol overdose without fear of arrest.
2. The commissioner shall promulgate rules and regulations to establish a curriculum for instruction which shall be age appropriate and developed according to the needs and abilities of pupils at successive grade levels.
3. School authorities shall be authorized to provide the needed facilities, time, and place for the instruction set forth herein and to provide learning aids and curriculum resource materials which contribute to effective teaching methods and learning regarding the decision to call 911 when witnessing or experiencing a drug or alcohol overdose.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00609-01-5
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.