Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Overdose Response Naloxone topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee considers allowing use of expired naloxone and partial immunity for administrators
Summary
Sen. Cora Newman introduced Senate Bill 503 to allow the use of expired opioid antagonists (naloxone) in emergency situations and provide liability protections for good-faith administrators; multiple medical and tribal witnesses supported the measure, citing overdose statistics and research on naloxone potency after expiration.
Senator Cora Newman opened a hearing on Senate Bill 503, which would allow expired opioid antagonists such as naloxone to be used in emergencies and provide limited immunity for school employees, eligible recipients and medical practitioners who administer expired doses in good faith.
Newman said Montana recorded 208 drug overdose deaths in 2022 and described naloxone as a lifesaving medication. She told the committee that Montana distributed more than 78,000 naloxone kits in 2023, funded in part by a $2.2 million CDC grant and a $400,000 state investment in naloxone vending kiosks. Newman and witnesses cited studies indicating naloxone retains over 90% effectiveness up to 10 years past expiration.
Proponents included Jean Branscomb, CEO of the Montana Medical Association; Alissa Snow, speaking for several tribes; and Dr. Nathan Allen of the Montana Chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians. Branscomb and Dr. Allen said expanded access to naloxone is an inexpensive, low-risk intervention that can reverse overdoses when bystanders or first responders are present. Dr. Allen recounted a case in which timely naloxone administration reversed a near-fatal fentanyl overdose.
Proponents said the bill would protect Good Samaritans and emergency responders who administer naloxone in good faith, enable nonprofit distribution of additional supplies and expand access in rural areas where restocking can be difficult. Newman provided estimates that permitting expired naloxone could save between $600,000 and $920,000 annually on a statewide spend she characterized as about $3 million per year on naloxone kits; in the hearing a committee member asked whether that savings estimate might be low and Newman deferred to medical witnesses for precise fiscal estimates.
No opponents testified in the room or online in the transcript; no committee vote is recorded.
