Back to Delaware

HB403 • 2025

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 4 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO OPIOID ANTAGONISTS AND THE SALE OF ALCOHOL.

Labor

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor: Snyder-Hall
Last action: 2026-05-19
Official status: House Economic Development/Banking/Insurance & Commerce 5/7/26
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Law for Opioid Antagonists at Taprooms and Taverns

The bill requires taprooms and taverns in Delaware to have opioid antagonists available and staff trained on their use, while also protecting employees from liability when administering them.

What This Bill Does

Requires taprooms and taverns to keep at least two working opioid antagonists on the premises all the time.
Revises training requirements for alcohol sellers to include instruction on how to use opioid antagonists in emergencies.
Protects employees from civil liability if they give an opioid antagonist to a patron during an emergency, as long as they act responsibly and without negligence.

Who It Names or Affects

Taprooms and taverns that sell alcohol.
Employees who work at taprooms and taverns and serve alcohol.

Terms To Know

Opioid antagonist: A medicine used to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify what happens if a taproom or tavern fails to comply with these requirements.
It is unclear how this law will be enforced and monitored by authorities.

Bill History

2026-05-19 Delaware General Assembly
Not Worked in Committee
2026-05-07 Delaware General Assembly
Introduced and Assigned to Economic Development/Banking/Insurance & Commerce Committee in House

Official Summary Text

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 4 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO OPIOID ANTAGONISTS AND THE SALE OF ALCOHOL.
This Act requires taprooms and taverns to keep at least 2 working opioid antagonists on the premises at all times. It also requires employees who sell alcohol to receive training in the use of opioid antagonists in an emergency as part of State-mandated training.
This Act also confirms that an employee of a taproom or tavern who administers an opioid antagonist to a patron is exempt from civil liability if acting in good faith and not wilfully, wantonly, recklessly, or with gross negligence.
This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

Legislation Document

SPONSOR:

Rep. Snyder-Hall & Sen. Cruce

Reps. Morrison, Neal

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

153rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HOUSE BILL NO. 403

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 4 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO OPIOID ANTAGONISTS AND THE SALE OF ALCOHOL.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE:

Section 1. Amend Chapter 7, Title 4 of the Delaware Code by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as shown by underline as follows:

§ 731. Opioid antagonist requirement.

(a) A taproom or tavern must have at least 2 working opioid antagonists, as defined in § 3002G of Title 16, on its premises, in an area known and accessible to any person working there who prepares, sells, or delivers alcoholic liquor for patrons.

(b) A lay individual who administers an opioid antagonist to an individual in the taproom or tavern is rendering emergency care and is exempt from liability under § 6801 of Title 16.

Section 2. Amend § 1204, Title 4 of the Delaware Code by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as shown by underline as follows:

§ 1204. Training standards and curriculum.

(a) In order to be recognized and approved by the Alcoholic Beverage Control Commissioner, a responsible alcoholic beverage server training program

shall

must

include, but need not be limited to,

include

providing information related to the following:

(1) Alcohol as a drug and its effects on the body and behavior, especially as to driving

ability;

ability.

(2) Effects of alcohol in combination with commonly used legal prescription or nonprescription drugs and illegal

drugs;

drugs.

(3) Recognizing the problem drinker and the identification of community treatment programs and

agencies;

agencies.

(4) Applicable Delaware alcoholic beverage control laws and Alcoholic Beverage Control Commissioner

rules;

rules.

(5) Delaware laws related to drinking and

driving;

driving.

(6) Intervention techniques, involving methods of dealing with the problem customer who has had, or is approaching the point of having had, too much to

drink;

drink.

(7) Advertising,

promotion

promotion,

and marketing of alcoholic beverages for safe and responsible drinking patterns and standard operating procedures for dealing with customers.

(8) Instructions on how to administer an opioid antagonist in the case of an emergency. For purposes of this paragraph, “opioid antagonist” means as defined in § 3002G of Title 16.

Section 3. This Act takes effect 1 year after its enactment into law.

SYNOPSIS

This Act requires taprooms and taverns to keep at least 2 working opioid antagonists on the premises at all times. It also requires employees who sell alcohol to receive training in the use of opioid antagonists in an emergency as part of State-mandated training.

This Act also confirms that an employee of a taproom or tavern who administers an opioid antagonist to a patron is exempt from civil liability if acting in good faith and not wilfully, wantonly, recklessly, or with gross negligence.

This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.