OPIOID ANTAGONISTS IN SCHOOLS S.B. 805 & 806 (S-2):
SUMMARY OF BILL
REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE
Senate Bill 805 (as reported without amendment)
Senate Bill 806 (Substitute S-2 as reported)
Sponsor: Senator Jim Ananich (S.B. 805)
Senator Dale W. Zorn (S.B. 806)
CONTENT
Senate Bill 805 would amend the Public Health Code to do the following:
-- Authorize the prescription and dispensation of an opioid antagonist to a school board.
-- Authorize a school employee to possess and administer an opioid antagonist dispensed to a school board if the employee were a licensed registered professional nurse (R.N.) or appropriately trained.
Senate Bill 806 (S-2) would amend the Revised School Code to do the following:
-- Allow a school board, beginning with the 2017-2018 school year, to require that at least two employees in each school it operated be trained in the use and administration of an opioid antagonist.
-- Require a school board that required such employee training to develop and implement a policy that was consistent with the Michigan Department of Education's (MDE's) medication administration guidelines and that provided for the possession of at least one package of an opioid antagonist in each school.
-- Authorize an R.N. who was employed or contracted by a school district or a trained school employee to possess and administer an opioid antagonist.
-- Provide for immunity from liability for a school employee who administered an opioid antagonist to an individual in good faith and consistent with the school board's policy.
-- Require the MDE to identify, develop, and adopt appropriate revisions to its medication administration guidelines to address the use of opioid antagonists in schools.
-- Require a school district annually to report to the MDE all instances of administration of an opioid antagonist to a pupil at school.
A school board's policy regarding the possession of an opioid antagonist would have to require school personnel to do the following: notify the parent or legal guardian of a pupil to whom an opioid antagonist was administered; encourage the parent or legal guardian to seek treatment for the pupil from a licensed substance use disorder services program; and call 9-1-1 if a pupil were believed to be having an opioid-related overdose.
The bills are tie-barred.
MCL 333.17744b (S.B. 805) Legislative Analyst: Julie Cassidy
380.5 et al. (S.B. 806)
FISCAL IMPACT
The bills would increase costs to the Department of Education and to local education authorities (e.g., school districts) that chose to possess and administer an opioid antagonist.
The Department would incur increased costs associated with updating the medication administration guidelines, including training requirements and requirements for administrating and storing opioid antagonists. The Department also would have costs associated with the additional reporting requirements.
Local education authorities would incur costs associated with the purchase and storage of opioid antagonists as well as training the designated employee who would administer them. If all schools chose to possess and administer opioid antagonists, the total costs for all schools in the State would be between $165,000 and $200,000 per year (using a cost of between $42 and $45 for Naloxone Hydrochloride). The cost for training two employees is currently unknown and would depend on how rigorous the Department made the training requirements in the medication administration guidelines. Schools also would have minimal costs associated with reporting the administration of an opioid antagonist to a pupil. Expanding the immunity from liability provision to the administration of opioid antagonists would protect employees and the districts from the costs associated with civil damage payments from lawsuits.
Date Completed: 10-19-16 Fiscal Analyst: Cory Savino
Josh Sefton
This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.