WEST virginia Legislature

2018 regular session

Introduced

Senate Bill 251

By Senators Azinger and Cline

[Introduced January 11, 2018; Referred
to the Committee on Health and Human Resources; and then to the Committee on the Judiciary]

A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding thereto a new section, designated §16-4C-24, relating to allowing initial responders to administer Naloxone or other approved opioid antagonist in an emergency situation to an individual who has overdosed; making an individual who has received an opioid antagonist from an initial responder responsible for its cost; and defining terms.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

ARTICLE 4C.  EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES ACT.

§16-4C-24.  Administration of an opioid antidote in an emergency.

(a) For purposes of this section:

(1) “Initial responder” means any emergency medical service personnel covered under this article and any member of the State Police, any sheriff, any deputy sheriff, any municipal police officer, any volunteer and paid firefighters and any other similar persons who respond to emergencies.

(2) "Opioid antagonist" means naloxone hydrochloride or other substance that is approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of a drug overdose by intranasal administration.

(b) An initial responder may administer an opioid antagonist in an emergency situation if he or she has successfully completed training on how to recognize the symptoms of opioid overdose and how to administer an opioid antagonist when an overdose occurs.

(c) Individuals who have received an opioid antagonist from an initial responder shall, in addition to any other costs that may be due as a result of the emergency response, be responsible for the cost of the opioid antagonist.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to allow initial responders to administer Naloxone or other approved opioid antagonists in an emergency situation to an individual who has suffered a drug overdose. The bill sets forth conditions. The bill makes the individual receiving the opioid antagonist responsible for its cost. The bill defines terms.

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.