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SB228 • 2026

PUBLIC SCHOOLS; OPIOID AWARENESS PROGRAM

An Act relating to the duties of the Department of Education and Early Development; relating to public education; and relating to opioid abuse awareness and prevention.

Education
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
SENATOR RAUSCHER
Last action
2026-04-27
Official status
(S) FIN
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill does not specify penalties for non-compliance or the exact content beyond what is listed in the official text.

Opioid Awareness Program for Schools

This bill requires the Department of Education and Early Development to create an opioid abuse awareness curriculum for students in grades six through twelve, which must be taught annually by school districts during the last week of October.

What This Bill Does

  • The department must develop a curriculum on opioids that includes dangers associated with opioid use, physical, psychological, and physiological consequences related to opioid abuse and addiction.
  • School districts are required to teach this program annually for at least 60 minutes to students from grade six to twelve during the last week of October.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Students in grades six through twelve
  • School districts across Alaska

Terms To Know

Opioid
A type of drug that can cause addiction and serious health problems.
Curriculum
The plan or course of study for a school subject.

Limits and Unknowns

  • It is not clear how much funding will be allocated to develop the curriculum.
  • The bill does not specify what happens if schools do not follow these requirements.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-27 Alaska State Legislature

    (S) REFERRED TO FINANCE

  2. 2026-04-27 Alaska State Legislature

    (S) FN2: ZERO(DOH)

  3. 2026-04-27 Alaska State Legislature

    (S) FN1: (EED)

  4. 2026-04-27 Alaska State Legislature

    (S) DP: TOBIN, YUNDT, STEVENS, KIEHL

  5. 2026-04-27 Alaska State Legislature

    (S) EDC RPT CS 4DP NEW TITLE

  6. 2026-04-24 Text

    (S) Moved CSSB 228(EDC) Out of Committee

  7. 2026-04-24 Text

    (S) EDUCATION at 03:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)

  8. 2026-03-20 Text

    (S) Heard & Held

  9. 2026-03-20 Text

    (S) EDUCATION at 03:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)

  10. 2026-01-28 1557

    (S) EDC, FIN

  11. 2026-01-28 1557

    (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS

Official Summary Text

PUBLIC SCHOOLS; OPIOID AWARENESS PROGRAM
An Act relating to the duties of the Department of Education and Early Development; relating to public education; and relating to opioid abuse awareness and prevention.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
SB0228B -1- CSSB 228(EDC)
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

34-LS1320\I

CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 228(EDC)

IN THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA

THIRTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE - SECOND SESSION

BY THE SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE

Offered: 4/27/26
Referred: Finance

Sponsor(s): SENATOR RAUSCHER
A BILL

FOR AN ACT ENTITLED

"An Act relating to the duties of the Department of Education and Early Development; 1
relating to public education; relating to opioid abuse awareness and prevention; and 2
relating to funds received from the national opioid settlement." 3
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 4
* Section 1. AS 14.30 is amended by adding a new section to read: 5
Sec. 14.30.363. Opioid abuse awareness and prevention curriculum. (a) 6
The department shall develop an opioid abuse awareness and prevention curriculum 7
for students in grades six through 12 relating to the dangers associated with, and the 8
physical, psychological, and physiological consequences related to, opioid abuse and 9
opioid addiction. The curriculum must provide at least 60 minutes of instruction 10
annually relating to opioid abuse awareness and prevention, including 11
(1) the dangers of using opioids, including drugs that may contain 12
fentanyl; 13
(2) awareness of opioids that target children, including drugs 14
34-LS1320\I
CSSB 228(EDC) -2- SB0228B
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

containing fentanyl that are designed to look like candy; 1
(3) the science related to using opioids, including drugs that contain 2
fentanyl; 3
(4) prevention of opioid abuse, including safe use of opioid 4
prescription medications; and 5
(5) detection of early warning signs related to opioid addiction in 6
school-aged children. 7
(b) In developing the curriculum, the department shall consult with 8
(1) the Department of Health; 9
(2) state and tribal entities and state residents that have experience in 10
reducing, preventing, and responding to opioid overdoses, including overdoses caused 11
by drugs containing fentanyl; and 12
(3) family members of individuals who have had an opioid overdose, 13
including overdoses caused by drugs containing fentanyl. 14
(c) Each school district shall teach the curriculum 15
(1) to students in grades six through 12; and 16
(2) during, or as close as practicable to, the last week in October. 17
(d) In this section, 18
(1) "curriculum" means the opioid abuse awareness and prevention 19
curriculum described in (a) of this section; 20
(2) "drugs" has the meaning given in AS 47.37.270; 21
(3) "opioid" has the meaning given in AS 17.20.085(g); 22
(4) "opioid abuse" and "opioid addiction" mean 23
(A) a physiological or psychological dependency, or both, on 24
an opioid; or 25
(B) habitual lack of self-control in using opioids to the extent 26
that a person's health is substantially impaired or a person's social or economic 27
function is substantially disrupted; 28
(5) "school district" has the meaning given in AS 14.30.350. 29
* Sec. 2. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 30
read: 31
34-LS1320\I
SB0228B -3- CSSB 228(EDC)
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

NATIONAL OPIOID SETTLEMENT FUNDS. Within six months after the effective 1
date of this Act, the Department of Health shall present a proposal to the committee 2
established in the Department of Health that is responsible for advising the department on the 3
allocation of funds received from the national opioid settlement. The proposal must request 4
that the committee approve the allocation of funds received from the settlement to the 5
Department of Education and Early Development to develop the curriculum required under 6
AS 14.30.363, enacted by sec. 1 of this Act. 7