HB222, titled the Naloxone Access Act, expands Maryland’s education requirements related to opioid overdose prevention and response. It directs the State Board of Education to update the public school drug addiction and prevention education program so that instruction includes the mitigating effects of naloxone and other opioid overdose-reversing medications. The bill also requires public schools and certain institutions of higher education to update their policies to address possession, storage, and emergency use of naloxone, and to include related training and notification procedures.
For public schools, the bill broadens who may possess and administer naloxone on school property or at school-sponsored events. In addition to school nurses and other school personnel, it authorizes a good-faith responder and, under specified conditions, trained high school students to possess and administer the medication. It also requires schools to keep naloxone on hand, notify parents or guardians of the policy each school year, and continue reporting incidents involving naloxone use. For higher education institutions, the bill requires policies on opioid addiction prevention training, emergency procedures, storage of naloxone, and authorization for students, staff, or other lawful individuals present to possess the medication.
The bill amends several provisions of the Education Article, including §§ 7-411, 7-426.5, and 11-1201 through 11-1204, and takes effect July 1, 2026. It updates existing school and campus opioid-response laws rather than creating a new standalone program, and it removes outdated reporting and grant provisions tied to earlier implementation years while preserving annual incident reporting requirements.
The overall sentiment reflected in the legislative history appears strongly supportive. The bill passed the House unanimously and the Senate by a substantial margin, indicating broad bipartisan agreement on expanding naloxone access and overdose-response preparedness in educational settings. No committee transcript was provided, but the voting record suggests the measure was viewed as a public health and student safety bill with little visible opposition.
The main points of contention, based on the text, are limited and technical rather than ideological. The bill expands access to naloxone to trained high school students and other lawful individuals, which could raise questions about training, supervision, and liability. It also broadens immunity protections for good-faith responders and changes who may administer the medication, but the bill preserves exceptions for willful or grossly negligent conduct. Any debate would likely center on implementation, training standards, and the appropriateness of student possession and administration in schools and campuses.
HB222 amends Maryland Education Article provisions governing drug addiction education in public schools and opioid overdose-response policies in public schools and institutions of higher education. It requires updated curriculum content on naloxone’s mitigating effects, expands who may possess and administer naloxone or other opioid overdose-reversing medication, and reinforces school and campus requirements for storage, training, notification, emergency response, and annual incident reporting. The bill affects county boards of education, public schools, higher education institutions receiving state funding, school staff, students, and other lawful individuals present on school or campus property.
The bill’s legislative reception appears overwhelmingly positive. It passed the House 128-0 and the Senate 31-6, suggesting broad bipartisan support for increasing naloxone availability and overdose preparedness in educational settings. The absence of recorded committee testimony in the provided materials limits insight into detailed discussion, but the vote totals indicate the measure was generally seen as a public health and student safety initiative.
The most notable issues in the bill are the expanded authority for trained high school students and other lawful individuals to possess or administer naloxone, and the corresponding liability protections for good-faith responders. Those provisions could prompt concerns about training adequacy, oversight, and risk management, especially in school settings. The bill also changes the list of authorized responders and updates existing policies rather than creating a new framework, so any disagreement would likely focus on implementation details rather than the underlying goal of opioid overdose prevention.