Requires institutions of higher education to maintain supply of opioid antidotes and permits emergency administration of opioid antidote by campus medical professional or trained employee.

A2124

ASSEMBLY, No. 2124

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman LINDA S. CARTER

District 22 (Somerset and Union)

Assemblywoman VERLINA REYNOLDS-JACKSON

District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)

Assemblyman WILLIAM B. SAMPSON, IV

District 31 (Hudson)

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman Morales

SYNOPSIS

���� Requires institutions of higher education to maintain
supply of opioid antidotes and permits emergency administration of opioid
antidote by campus medical professional or trained employee.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative
Counsel.

��

An Act
concerning the emergency administration of opioid
antidotes at institutions of higher education and supplementing chapter 61D of
Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.
�

����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.��� As used in this act:

���� �Institution of higher
education� means a public or independent institution of higher education.

���� �Licensed campus medical
professional� means a physician, physician assistant, advanced practice nurse,
or registered nurse who is appropriately licensed by the State of New Jersey
and is employed or engaged by an institution of higher education.

���� �Opioid antidote� means any
drug, regardless of dosage amount or method of administration, which has been
approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the
treatment of an opioid overdose.� "Opioid antidote" includes, but is
not limited to, naloxone hydrochloride, in any dosage amount, which is
administered through nasal spray or any other FDA-approved means or methods.

���� �Opioid overdose� means an
acute condition including, but not limited to, extreme physical illness,
decreased level of consciousness, respiratory depression, coma, or death
resulting from the consumption or use of an opioid drug or another substance
with which an opioid drug was combined, and that a layperson would reasonably
believe to require medical assistance.

���� �Secretary� means the
Secretary of Higher Education.

���� �Trained designee� means an
employee of an institution of higher education who has received training on the
administration of opioid antidotes under the provisions of this act.

���� 2.��� a.� An institution of
higher education shall obtain a supply of opioid antidotes pursuant to a
standing order under section 4 of the �Overdose Prevention Act,� P.L.2013, c.46
(C.24:6J-4), or section 1 of P.L.2017, c.88 (C.45:14-67.2), to be maintained in
one or more secure and easily accessible locations at the institution for the
purpose of responding to an opioid overdose emergency. Opioid antidotes shall
be maintained by the institution in quantities and types deemed adequate by the
governing board of the institution, in consultation with the secretary and the
Department of Human Services.

���� b.��� An institution of higher
education shall develop a policy, in accordance with guidelines established by
the secretary pursuant to section 3 of this act, for the emergency
administration of an opioid antidote to a student, staff member, or other
person who is experiencing an opioid overdose.� The policy shall:

���� (1)�� designate a licensed
campus medical professional to oversee the institution�s program for the
maintenance and emergency administration of opioid antidotes;

���� (2)�� permit a licensed campus
medical professional and trained employees designated pursuant to subsection c.
of this section to administer an opioid antidote to any person whom the
licensed campus medical professional or trained employee in good faith believes
is experiencing an opioid overdose; and

���� (3)�� require the
transportation of an overdose victim to a hospital emergency room by emergency
services personnel after the administration of an opioid antidote, even if the
person�s symptoms appear to have resolved.

���� c.���� A licensed campus
medical professional shall have the primary responsibility for the emergency
administration of an opioid antidote in accordance with a policy developed
under this section.� The governing board of an institution of higher education
shall designate additional employees of the institution who volunteer to
administer an opioid antidote in the event that a person experiences an opioid
overdose when a licensed campus medical professional is not physically present
at the scene.� The designated employees shall only be authorized to administer
opioid antidotes after receiving the training required under subsection b. of
section 3 of this act.

���� 3.��� a.� The secretary, in
consultation with the Department of Human Services and appropriate medical
experts, shall establish guidelines for the development of a policy by an
institution of higher education for the emergency administration of opioid
antidotes. Each institution of higher education shall implement the guidelines
in developing a policy pursuant to section 2 of this act.

���� b.��� The guidelines shall
include a requirement that a licensed campus medical professional and each
employee designated pursuant to subsection c. of section 2 of this act receive
training on standardized protocols for the administration of an opioid antidote
to a person who experiences an opioid overdose.� The training shall include the
overdose prevention information described in subsection a. of section 5 of the
"Overdose Prevention Act," P.L.2013, c.46 (C.24:6J-5). The guidelines
shall specify an appropriate entity or entities to provide the training.

���� 4.��� An employee of an
institution of higher education, including a licensed campus medical
professional, trained designee, or any other officer or agent of an institution
of higher education, pharmacist, or a prescriber of opioid antidotes for an
institution of higher education through a standing order, shall not be held
liable for any good faith act or omission consistent with the provisions of
this act. Good faith shall not include willful misconduct, gross negligence, or
recklessness.

���� 5.��� This act shall take
effect on the first day of the fourth month next following the date of
enactment, except the Secretary of Higher Education may take any anticipatory
administrative action in advance as shall be necessary for the implementation
of this act.

STATEMENT

���� This bill requires public and
independent institutions of higher education in New Jersey to obtain a supply
of opioid antidotes to be maintained in one or more secure and easily
accessible locations at the institution.� The bill requires the institutions to
develop a policy for the emergency administration of an opioid antidote to a
student, staff member, or other person who is experiencing an opioid overdose.�
The policies must: (1) designate a licensed campus medical professional to
oversee the institution�s program for the maintenance and emergency
administration of opioid antidotes; (2) permit a licensed campus medical
professional and other designated trained employees of the institution to
administer an opioid antidote to any person whom the licensed campus medical
professional or trained employee in good faith believes is experiencing an
opioid overdose; and (3) require the transportation of an overdose victim to a
hospital emergency room by emergency services personnel after the
administration of an opioid antidote.

���� Under an institution�s policy,
a licensed campus medical professional will have the primary responsibility for
the emergency administration of an opioid antidote.� The governing board of an
institution of higher education will designate additional employees of the
institution who volunteer to administer an opioid antidote in the event that a
person experiences an opioid overdose when a licensed campus medical
professional is not physically present at the scene. The licensed campus
medical professionals and designated employees are required to receive training
on standardized protocols for the administration of an opioid antidote to a
person who experiences an opioid overdose.� The training will include the
overdose prevention information set forth in the State�s "Overdose
Prevention Act.�

���� The bill directs the Secretary
of Higher Education, in consultation with the Department of Human Services and
appropriate medical experts, to establish guidelines for institutions of higher
education in developing their policies for the administration of opioid
antidotes, including guidelines concerning the training requirements for
licensed campus medical professionals and designated employees.� Institutions
of higher education will be required to implement the guidelines in developing
their policies.� The bill provides immunity from liability for licensed campus
medical professionals, trained designees, and other employees or agents of an
institution of higher education, and for pharmacists and prescribers of opioid
antidotes for an institution of higher education, for good faith acts or
omissions consistent with the bill�s provisions.