NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A5840 REVISED 2/26/25
SPONSOR: Steck TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the public health law and the mental hygiene law, in
relation to dispensing certain individuals with opioid reversal drugs
upon discharge
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
(b) Upon discharge of an individual who appears to be at risk for a
substance use disorder, such hospital shall dispense at least two doses
of opioid reversal drugs.
(o)Upon discharge from an inpatient facility operated or licensed by the
office of alcoholism and substance abuse services or the office of
mental health, a patient who appears to be at risk for a substance use
disorder shall be dispensed at least two doses of opioid reversal drugs.
PURPOSE AND JUSTIFICATION:
Under current law, hospitals or substance use treatment facilities are
recommended to inform an individual upon discharge of the availability
of opioid reversal drugs and have the option to prescribe them to a
patient.
This legislation would simply require a hospital or substance use treat-
ment facility to prescribe or dispense at least two doses of opioid
reversal drugs to a patient upon discharge. By enacting this legis-
lation, New York State will increase access to lifesaving opioid
reversal drugs to those who are at risk for substance use disorder.
EXISTING LAW:
None.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New legislation.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
To be determined.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
5840
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 24, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. STECK -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse
AN ACT to amend the public health law and the mental hygiene law, in
relation to dispensing certain individuals with opioid reversal drugs
upon discharge
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Subdivision 3 of section 2803-u of the public health law,
2 as added by section 1 of part C of chapter 70 of the laws of 2016, is
3 amended to read as follows:
4 3. (a) Upon commencement of treatment, admission, or discharge of an
5 individual with a documented substance use disorder or who appears to
6 have or be at risk for a substance use disorder, including discharge
7 from the emergency department, such hospital shall inform the individual
8 of the availability of the substance use disorder treatment services
9 that may be available to them through a substance use disorder services
10 program.
11 (b) Upon discharge of an individual who appears to be at risk for a
12 substance use disorder, such hospital shall dispense at least two doses
13 of opioid reversal drugs.
14 § 2. Section 29.15 of the mental hygiene law is amended by adding a
15 new subdivision (o) to read as follows:
16 (o) Upon discharge from an inpatient facility operated or licensed by
17 the office of alcoholism and substance abuse services or the office of
18 mental health, a patient who appears to be at risk for a substance use
19 disorder shall be dispensed at least two doses of opioid reversal drugs.
20 § 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
21 it shall have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07416-01-5
