Requires homeless shelters to keep an opioid antagonist on hand at all times and trained personnel when required by applicable law, regulation, code, or operating plan approved by a social services district or the commissioner otherwise requires employees to be at the premises; sets out the requirements for the training of those employees; develops a training plan for opioid overdoses in conjunction with a registered opioid overdose prevention program.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A658
SPONSOR: Rosenthal TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the social services law, in relation to requiring home-
less shelters to keep an opioid antagonist on hand, have at least one
trained employee on duty at all times, and provide an opioid antagonist
training program for residents
PURPOSE:
To require homeless shelters to keep opioid overdose reversal drugs on
hand and require that at least one trained staff person is on duty at
all times to administer if needed.
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Section one amends article 3 of the social services law by adding a new
title three.
Section two sets forth the effective date.
JUSTIFICATION:
Homeless shelters in New York State have long been dealing with
instances of drug overdoses and as the opioid epidemic deepens, those
instances are increasing. A critical measure that the state has taken to
reduce the number of opioid-related deaths is expanding access to nalox-
one. New York State currently allows for pharmacies, schools, libraries,
opioid overdose prevention programs, first responders and others to
stock and administer these life-saving opioid overdose reversal drugs,
New York's homeless population has been affected by the opioid epidemic,
and shelters must be equipped to save residents' lives when an overdose
occurs. This bill would require homeless shelters within the state to
keep opioid reversal drugs on hand as well as require that at least one
employee trained in the administration of the drug is on duty at all
times. This legislation would also establish a training program for
shelters to offer to residents who may be at an increased risk of expe-
riencing or witnessing an overdose.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2023-24: A.206 - Reported to Ways & Means; S.1872 - Referred to Social
Services
2021-22: A.638 - Reported to Ways & Means; S.8982 - Referred to Social
Services
2019-20: A.110 - Reported to Codes
2017-18: A.9552-C - Reported to Codes
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
Unknown.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall have
become law; provided, however, that effective immediately, the addition,
amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the
implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be
made and completed on or before such effective date.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
658
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY(Prefiled)
January 8, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. ROSENTHAL, STIRPE -- read once and referred to
the Committee on Social Services
AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to requiring home-
less shelters to keep an opioid antagonist on hand, have at least one
trained employee on duty at all times, and provide an opioid antag-
onist training program for residents
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Article 2-A of the social services law is amended by adding
2 a new title 3 to read as follows:
3 TITLE 3
4 OPIOID ANTAGONISTS IN HOMELESS SHELTERS
5 Section 47. Opioid antagonist use and training.
6 § 47. Opioid antagonist use and training. 1. Any provider of temporary
7 housing assistance, which shall include, but not be limited to, a family
8 shelter, a shelter for adults, a hotel, an emergency apartment, a domes-
9 tic violence shelter, a runaway and homeless youth shelter, or a safe
10 house for refugees operating in this state shall have at its premises:
11 (a) an opioid antagonist and a method of administering it on site at
12 all times which may include, but not be limited to, a naloxone kit; and
13 (b) at a minimum, one employee trained in the administration of an
14 opioid antagonist on duty at all times when applicable law, regulation,
15 code, or operating plan approved by a social services district or the
16 commissioner otherwise requires employees to be at the premises.
17 2. All employees of providers of temporary housing assistance who are
18 authorized to administer an opioid antagonist shall:
19 (a) have completed an initial training program, which may include a
20 department of health registered opioid overdose prevention training
21 program;
22 (b) complete a refresher training program at least every two years;
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02157-01-5
A. 658 2
1 (c) contact the emergency medical system during any response to a
2 victim of suspected drug overdose and advise if an opioid antagonist is
3 being used;
4 (d) comply with protocols for response to victims of suspected drug
5 overdose; and
6 (e) report all responses to victims of suspected drug overdose to the
7 department of health.
8 3. All providers of temporary housing assistance shall develop a
9 training plan in conjunction with a registered opioid overdose
10 prevention program in the applicable region regarding the administration
11 of opioid antagonists to any individual residing on a provider's prem-
12 ises who is at risk of experiencing or witnessing an opioid overdose.
13 4. For the purposes of this subdivision, the term "opioid antagonist"
14 shall mean a federal food and drug administration-approved drug that,
15 when administered, negates or neutralizes in whole or in part the phar-
16 macological effects of an opioid in the body and that is limited to
17 naloxone or other medications approved by the department of health for
18 this purpose and "naloxone kit" shall mean a prefilled naloxone syringe
19 or needle-free intranasal drug delivery device.
20 5. The commissioner is authorized to promulgate rules and regulations
21 necessary for the implementation of this title.
22 § 2. This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall
23 have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or
24 repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of
25 this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed
26 on or before such effective date.
