Bill > A4177

Introduced Session

This bill would require a board of education, board of trustees of a charter school, and chief school administrator of a nonpublic school to develop a policy, pursuant to Department of Education guidelines, for the emergency administration of an opioid antidote to a student or staff member who is experiencing an opioid overdose. The policy will: (1) require a school that includes any of the grades nine through 12, and permit any other school, to obtain a standing order for opioid antidotes and to maintain a supply of opioid antidotes in a secure and easily accessible location; and (2) permit the school nurse or trained employees to administer an opioid antidote to any student or staff member whom the nurse or trained employee in good faith believes is experiencing an opioid overdose. The opioid antidotes must be accessible in the school during regular school hours and during school-sponsored functions that take place in the school or on school grounds adjacent to the school building. A board of education, board of trustees of a charter school, or chief school administrator of a nonpublic school may, in its discretion, make opioid antidotes accessible during school-sponsored functions that take place off school grounds. Under the policy, the school nurse will have the primary responsibility for the emergency administration of an opioid antidote. The board of education, board of trustees of a charter school, or chief school administrator of a nonpublic school will designate additional employees who volunteer to administer an opioid antidote in the event that a student or staff member experiences an opioid overdose when the nurse is not physically present at the scene. The bill directs the Department of Education, in consultation with the Department of Human Services and appropriate medical experts, to establish guidelines for school districts, charter schools, and nonpublic schools in developing their policies for the administration of opioid antidotes. The guidelines will require that each school nurse, and each employee designated by the board of education, board of trustees of a charter school, or chief school administrator of a nonpublic school pursuant to the bill's provisions, receive training on standardized protocols for the administration of an opioid antidote to a student or staff member who experiences an opioid overdose. The training will include the overdose prevention information described in subsection a. of section 5 of the "Overdose Prevention Act," P.L.2013, c.46 (C.24:6J-5). The bill provides immunity from liability for school nurses and other employees or agents of a board of education, charter school, or nonpublic school, and prescribers of opioid antidotes for a school, for good faith acts or omissions consistent with the bill's provisions. The bill also stipulates that school districts may enter into shared services arrangements for the provision of opioid antidotes; and that funds made available pursuant to P.L.1991, c.226 (C.18A:40-23 et seq.) may be used in nonpublic schools to comply with the provisions of the bill. In addition, the bill amends the "Overdose Prevention Act," P.L.2013, c.46 (C.24:6J-1 et seq.), to: (1) include schools, school districts, and school nurses among the recipients that may be prescribed opioid antidotes through a standing order; and (2) provide that immunity from liability for opioid antidote administration in accordance with the Overdose Prevention Act will be applicable to schools, school districts, school nurses, and other employees or agents of a board of education, charter school, or nonpublic school who administer, or permit the administration of, opioid antidotes in good faith under the provisions of the bill.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Bob Andrzejczak (D)*,  Daniel Benson (D)*,  JoAnn Downey (D)*,  Joe Lagana (D)*,  R. Bruce Land (D)*,  Vincent Mazzeo (D)*,  Andrew Zwicker (D)*,  Gabriela Mosquera (D),  Valerie Vainieri Huttle (D), 

Reported out of Asm. Comm. with Amendments, and Referred to Assembly Education Committee (on 03/20/2017)