AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 23, 2023

AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 16, 2023

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION

95

CHAPTER 570

Statutes of 2023

[ Approved by Governor October 8, 2023. Filed with Secretary of State October 8, 2023. ]

Introduced by Assembly Member Waldron

February 16, 2023

An act to add and repeal Part 6.25 (commencing with Section 1179.805) of Division 1 of the Health and Safety Code, relating to substance abuse.

Vote: majority   Appropriation: no   Fiscal committee: yes   Local program: no

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

Existing law establishes the State Department of Health Care Services within the California Health and Human Services Agency. The Naloxone Distribution Project (NDP) is administratively created by the department to reduce opioid-related overdose deaths by providing free naloxone hydrochloride to eligible entities.

This bill would require the department to conduct outreach to each of the tribal governments in California for the purpose of advising them of the availability of naloxone hydrochloride or another opioid antagonist through the NDP. The bill would require the department to provide technical assistance to the tribal entities applying for naloxone kits through the NDP if requested to do so by the tribal government. The bill would require the department to report to the Legislature and to the Assembly and Senate Health Committees, the results of the outreach program, as specified, annually on or before March 31 of each year, beginning on March 31, 2025. The bill would repeal these provisions on March 31, 2027.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

Part 6.25 (commencing with Section 1179.805) is added to Division 1 of the Health and Safety Code, to read:

Part 6.25. Provision of Opioid Antagonists to Tribal Governments

1179.805.

(a) The State Department of Health Care Services shall conduct outreach to each of the tribal governments in California for the purpose of advising them of the availability of naloxone hydrochloride or another opioid antagonist through the department’s Naloxone Distribution Project (NDP). The department shall provide technical assistance on the application process to the tribal entities applying for naloxone kits through the NDP if requested to do so by the tribal government.

(b) The department shall report to the Legislature and to the Assembly and Senate Health Committees, the results of the outreach program annually on or before March 31 of each year, beginning on March 31, 2025.

(1) The report shall include all of the following:

(A) The tribes that participated in the NDP as a result of the department’s outreach.

(B) The number of applicants that participated in the NDP as a result of the department’s outreach.

(C) The effectiveness of the outreach and the NDP in lowering both opioid overdoses and deaths within the Native American community.

(2) A report to be submitted pursuant to this subdivision shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.

(c) This section shall remain in effect only until March 31, 2027, and as of that date is repealed.