Sen. Lawson and Rep. Serodio’s bill that requires Narcan on school sites signed into law

State House – Sen. Valarie J. Lawson (D-Dist. 14, East Providence) and Rep. Joe Serodio’s (D-Dist. 64, East Providence) legislation (2019-S 0409A / 2019-H 6086A) that requires private, in addition to public, schools to provide and maintain in each school facility opioid antagonists, such as Narcan, has been signed into law by the governor.

“No one can deny any longer that the opioid crisis is affecting every aspect of our society, even within our schools. This bill will protect staff, visitors, and even students, if the worst should occur and someone begins overdosing in a school setting. I wish this bill was not necessary, but unfortunately, it is and we needed to pass this bill to save lives,” said Senator Lawson.

“Opioid abuse and addiction can affect anyone, including school staff, parents, and even our students. It is for this reason that we must have opioid antagonists on hand in our schools, so that if an overdose should occur, staff can administer the drug and prevent an overdose death. In the face of the opioid epidemic, this bill is a necessity and hopefully, it will prevent tragedies from happening on our school grounds,” said Representative Serodio.

The bill also states that any school nurse-teacher or other school personnel who use an opioid antagonist will be protected from both civil and criminal liability.