Albany, NY – Assemblymember MaryJane Shimsky today welcomed the unanimous passage by the New York State Assembly of Bill No. A.2891 (S.0835), an amendment to the Health Code directing the Commissioner of Health to establish guidelines for on-site opioid overdose response capacity in nightlife establishments. The bill requires the publication of guidelines to make it easier for nightlife establishments to have trained staff with access to opioid antagonists, such as nalaxone, and to establish relationships with first responders in the event of an overdose at their place of business.

In 2021, more than 106,000 people in the United States died of drug overdoses – two-thirds of them from fentanyl¹. Among those deaths are many who likely were unaware of the presence or amount of fentanyl they had ingested. A synthetic opioid 50-times stronger than heroin and 100-times stronger than morphine², fentanyl increasingly has been found not only in Class A and Class B controlled substances such as heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamines, but also in pill forms that may appear to be prescription or over the counter medications³.

In her comments preceding this morning’s vote, Assemblymember Shimsky stated:

“Members of all demographic groups have fallen victim, but the most heartbreaking of all are the deaths among our young people, taken from us at the dawn of life. This scourge is sparing no demographic group, however. An even newer drug, xylazine, may end up being deadlier yet. 

“To save the most lives possible, we need to reach out to people where they are. One such location is nightlife venues, where young people and recreational drugs come into close contact. That is why this body passed last year the nightlife opioid antagonist program bill. This chapter amendment puts the responsibility for developing and implementing the program in the hands of the experts at the State’s Health Department.

“Thank you to the bill’s original sponsor, Assemblymember Griffin, all of the co-sponsors, the past and current chairs of the Assembly’s Health Committee – Assembly members Gottfried and Paulin – Governor Hochul and her administration, and to all of you who plan to support this chapter amendment. I urge all of my colleagues to support this bill, but to make themselves available, as needed, to provide the resources and community outreach needed to maximize its success; and to look for more ways educate our young people and protect them from this eminent threat.”

After passing in the Assembly with a vote of 130-to-0, the bill was referred back to the State Senate, where it had passed on Monday, February 13, with Senator Leroy Comrie as sponsor. The bill is the first legislative item to be introduced by Assemblymember Shimsky, currently serving in her first term in the Assembly.

Assemblymember Shimsky represents the 92nd District, which includes most of the towns of Greenburgh and Mount Pleasant, and a portion of northwest Yonkers, in Westchester County. From 2012 to 2022, she served on the Westchester County Board of Legislators, where she distinguished herself on issues relating to the environment, flood mitigation, infrastructure, and public health. A former Assistant District Attorney in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, she is a graduate of Yale University and New York University Law School and earned a Ph.D. in History from the City University of New York. She and her husband are 26-year residents of the Rivertowns area of Westchester County.