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Council advances bill requiring Narcan training, stocking and discharge kits in city jails
Summary
Intro 206b, a bill to require the Department of Correction to provide Narcan training to staff and incarcerated people, stock opioid antagonists in housing units, verify stock weekly, and provide overdose kits on discharge, advanced from committee and was adopted on the general orders calendar.
The City Council advanced Intro 206b on Wednesday, a bill that would require the Department of Correction (DOC) to expand opioid antagonist measures across city jails. Committee report language records the bill as amended and coupled on the general orders calendar; the general orders calendar was adopted by the council at the close of the stated meeting.
Council Member Shahana Hanif, sponsor of Intro 206b, said the measure aims to reduce overdose deaths on Rikers Island and in city jails. "From 2022 to 2023, at least 10 people on Rikers Island died of a suspected drug overdose. These tragic deaths could have been avoided if the opioid antagonist Narcan was properly administered," Hanif said on the floor.
Under the bill as described during floor remarks, DOC would be required to:
- Provide Narcan training to all uniformed staff and make training available to incarcerated people; - Stock opioid antagonists in all housing units and verify weekly that supplies are current; - Provide annual reporting on training and administration of opioid antagonists; and - Make opioid overdose kits available to individuals upon discharge from DOC custody.
Hanif thanked criminal justice stakeholders and legal service providers that supported the bill, including the Legal Aid Society, New York County Defender Services, Brooklyn Defenders, Bronx Defenders, and the Urban Justice Center.
The committee on criminal justice reported Intro 206b amended and coupled on general orders. At the end of the stated meeting the council adopted the general orders calendar; that calendar was recorded as adopted 51-0 for the items without separate exceptions. Intro 206b was among the items advanced on the general orders calendar and will move to further floor consideration as required by the council's rules.
