INDIANA – In a unanimous effort to bolster student safety, Indiana lawmakers have passed legislation that will broaden access to life-saving opioid overdose reversal medication in schools across the state. The Indiana Senate voted 49-0 on Tuesday to approve House Enrolled Act 1376, sending it to Governor Mike Braun’s desk for his signature. The bill had previously passed the House with a vote of 91-0 in February.
The newly approved legislation updates the Indiana Code to allow schools to stock and administer any opioid reversal medication approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) during an emergency. This expands the current law, which names Naloxone explicitly as the only opioid reversal drug schools are permitted to keep on hand.
Under this revised plan, each school will have the autonomy to decide whether to stock Naloxone products or another FDA-approved opioid overdose reversal medication, including nasal sprays.
State Sen. Rodney Pol, D-Chesterton, the bill’s sponsor, highlighted the urgency of the legislation, citing the alarming rise in fentanyl-laced counterfeit pills. He noted that law enforcement nationwide seized over 115 million pills containing fentanyl in 2023, many of which were deceptively manufactured to resemble legitimate prescription drugs.
“Any pills that are given to somebody by a friend, purchased on social media, or received by any other source other than a pharmacy could potentially be deadly,” Senator Pol emphasized. “In the horrible event that these end up in any of your schools, the emergency medication that would be allowed to be administered would be applicable, and you could potentially save lives in your community.”
State Rep. Pat Boy, D-Michigan City, the House sponsor of the bill, underscored the devastating impact of the opioid crisis, noting that approximately 75,000 Americans died from opioid overdoses in 2022.
While celebrating the passage of this crucial legislation as an essential step in making opioid overdose reversal medication more readily available, Representative Boy affirmed her ongoing commitment to addressing the root causes of the opioid epidemic. “I remain absolutely committed to finding solutions that will end the needless loss of life caused by opioid overdoses in Indiana,” she stated.
With unanimous support in both chambers, House Enrolled Act 1376 is poised to become law, providing Indiana schools with greater flexibility in equipping themselves with the necessary tools to respond effectively to potential opioid emergencies and safeguard the well-being of their students.
