Schools get naloxone, feds get overdose data—a public health win

What it does

This bill creates a federal grant program to help schools purchase naloxone (opioid overdose reversal drugs) and develop emergency response plans and drug-prevention education. Schools receiving these grants must report to federal overdose-tracking systems whenever they distribute naloxone, and the HHS Secretary must report annually to Congress on grant usage and overdose responses.

Why we flagged it

The bill's operative mechanism is a competitive grant program to equip schools with naloxone and mandated overdose-response training. It is a straightforward public-health intervention with no hidden carve-outs or immunity provisions.

What the text implies

• Schools must report naloxone distribution to federal systems, creating a national database of overdose incidents in educational settings—potentially useful for epidemiology but also creating a permanent record tied to school locations and student populations.
• Grant awards are competitive and prioritize high-overdose areas, which may concentrate resources in certain regions while leaving lower-incidence areas without federal support.
• The bill requires schools to develop emergency response plans in consultation with local health departments, potentially creating coordination burdens for under-resourced districts.
• Reporting to NEMSIS and ODMAP may expose schools to liability or regulatory scrutiny if overdose incidents are documented and later investigated by law enforcement or public health authorities.

Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.

Who it affects

The bill expands access to life-saving overdose reversal medication in schools and mandates evidence-based prevention education, directly protecting students and staff. The reporting requirement creates public accountability and data transparency without imposing costs on schools or restricting citizen rights.

Who stands to gain

• pharmaceutical manufacturers of naloxone (naloxone producers)
• schools and local educational agencies (grant recipients)
• emergency medical services and public health agencies (data recipients)

Named in the bill

HHS Secretary, Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, Secretary of Education, NEMSIS (National Emergency Medical Services Information System), ODMAP (Overdose Detection Mapping Application Program), Washington/Baltimore High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, local educational agencies, charter schools, private schools, Bristol Myers Squibb (BMY), Gilead Sciences (GH), Pfizer (PFE) — and 2 more

Where it stands

1 cosponsor: 1 Republicans.

• Mar 19, 2026 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
• Mar 19, 2026 — Referred to House Committee on Education and Workforce and House Committee on Energy and Commerce · Congress.gov: “Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Education and…”
• Jun 25, 2026 — Markup held in committee · Congress.gov: “Subcommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held”
• Jul 21, 2026 — Reported out of committee · Congress.gov: “Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 48 - 0”

Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.

Money around this bill

2 lobbying clients named this bill on 3 disclosure filings across 1 quarter, Jun 2026 to Jun 2026. Those filings disclosed $5,903,000 in lobbying spend. A filing names 103 bills on average, so that figure is what each filing reported, not a share belonging to this bill.

More lobbying clients named this bill than 41% of bills with at least one filing.

Raul Ruiz, the sponsor, reported $1,028,105 in PAC receipts in the 2026 cycle.

• American Medical Association — $5,643,000 on 2 filings
• American Society of Health-system Pharmacists — $260,000 on 1 filing

Lobbying Disclosure Act filings through Jul 20, 2026. A filing shows who paid to lobby on a bill it names, not what changed.