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HB 552

Higher Education - Drug Detection Products - Distribution and Report

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Mary Lehman and 8 co-sponsors

Maryland bill authorizes colleges to distribute fentanyl test strips and naloxone to students without legal liability, reducing overdose deaths through harm reduction.

Hearing 2/04 at 1:00 p.m. (Appropriations)
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Bill Summary · HB 552

Legislative bill overview

HB 552 authorizes Maryland colleges and universities to distribute drug detection products (such as fentanyl test strips and naloxone) to students and campus visitors without legal liability. The bill establishes a framework allowing higher education institutions to proactively provide harm reduction supplies as a public health measure on campuses.

Why is this important

Fentanyl and other synthetic opioids have significantly increased overdose deaths among young adults, including college-age populations. By removing legal barriers to distributing detection and reversal products, the bill aims to reduce overdose fatalities and emergency room visits on campuses while supporting institutions' ability to implement evidence-based harm reduction strategies.

Potential points of contention

  • Liability protection scope: The extent of legal immunity for institutions and the circumstances under which that protection applies may concern some stakeholders about accountability
  • Prevention vs. enabling debate: Critics may argue that distributing drug detection products implicitly accepts drug use rather than prioritizing prevention education and enforcement
  • Implementation inconsistency: Without mandatory requirements, some campuses may distribute widely while others do little, creating disparate access to harm reduction resources across the state's higher education system

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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