Requires certain eligible persons or entities to acquire and possess opioid antagonists

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn and 6 co-sponsors

Requires eligible entities to obtain and keep opioid antagonists (e.g., naloxone) on site to improve overdose response and save lives.

REFERRED TO HEALTH

Summary of bill A 1748

What the bill would do

The bill, titled Requires certain eligible persons or entities to acquire and possess opioid antagonists, would require defined eligible individuals or organizations to obtain and maintain opioid antagonists on hand. The exact definitions of “eligible persons or entities” and the specifics of how the antagonists must be acquired and stored are determined in the bill’s text, which is not included here. In general, the measure aims to improve overdose response by ensuring immediate access to opioid antagonists (such as naloxone) in settings where overdoses may occur.

Key provisions (as indicated by the title; specific text not provided)

Duty to acquire: Eligible parties would be required to obtain opioid antagonists.

Duty to possess: Those same parties would need to keep the antagonists on-site and readily accessible.

Potential training and accessibility requirements: Many overdose-reversal statutes include requirements for basic training and public access; the exact requirements would be defined in the bill.

Storage and maintenance: The bill would likely specify proper storage, expiration management, and replacement of used or expired doses.

Enforcement and penalties: Details on penalties or remedies for non-compliance are not specified in the summary provided.

Who would be affected

The measure targets “eligible persons or entities” defined in the bill. This could include schools, workplaces, healthcare facilities, community organizations, or other settings where overdoses could occur. The precise list of affected groups would be set out in the bill’s text.

Legislative status and timeline

Introduction: January 14, 2025.

Current status: Referred to the Health Committee.

Legislative actions: On January 14, 2025, the bill was referred to the Health committee (listed twice in the actions).

Next steps: If advanced by the Health Committee, the bill would proceed through further committee review, potential amendments, and floor consideration in the New York State Assembly.

Sponsors and related measures

Primary sponsor: Linda Rosenthal.

Cosponsors: Andrew Hevesi, Maritza Davila, Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, Karines Reyes, Albert A. Stirpe, Harvey Epstein.

Related/companion bills: A 10187, A 448, A 576, A 1773 (from prior sessions) and S 5786 (companion in the Senate).

Practical considerations

Policy intent: To expand access to opioid antagonists and reduce fatal overdoses by ensuring ready availability in specified settings.

Fiscal and implementation details: Not provided in the summary; would depend on the bill’s text (costs of purchasing antagonists, training requirements, and any reporting obligations).

Public health context: Aligns with broader efforts to combat opioid-related overdoses through greater bystander intervention capability.

If you’d like, I can tailor this summary further once the bill’s actual text is available, or compare A 1748 to its related or companion measures to highlight differences in scope and requirements.