S.Amdt. 1246

As folks working for you in Congress, we need to keep a close eye on how our laws protect our communities and our kids. Mr. Merkley submitted an amendment called the School Access to Naloxone Act of 2025. This amendment is meant to be added to a bill about fentanyl-related substances.

The main purpose of this amendment is to address opioid overdose deaths by helping schools get the resources they need. It aims to change and add things to the Public Health Service Act by creating grants specifically for reducing opioid overdose deaths in public and private elementary and secondary schools.

Here is what the amendment specifically aims to do:

• Allow existing grant funds to be used for administering drugs or devices for opioid overdoses, rather than just prescribing them.
• Authorize money to carry out both the original section and the new section added by this amendment.
• Allow the Secretary to award grants to eligible entities so schools can have FDA-approved, cleared, licensed, or authorized drugs or devices on hand for the emergency treatment of known or suspected opioid overdoses.
• Require schools to meet certain certifications to get the grant, such as having a program where trained personnel can administer the drugs, keeping a supply in an easily accessible location, and having trained personnel on the premises during all operating hours.
• Require the State attorney general to certify that the State has reviewed its civil liability protection laws and concluded they provide adequate legal protection for school personnel who give emergency aid.