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Delegates require first responders to carry opioid reversal medication; governor's office urges passage
Summary
A bill directing states to require first responders to carry opioid‑overdose reversal medication or risk federal highway funding reductions passed after sponsors argued it would save lives and a governor's cabinet representative urged support.
Delegate Caleb introduced a bill that would encourage states to require first responders on duty to carry a form of opioid‑overdose reversal medication; the bill’s amendment text included a provision that states not requiring such coverage could lose 5% of their federal highway funding.
Supporters argued the measure would meaningfully reduce overdose deaths and increase public trust: "Requiring Narcan will almost guarantee that someone experiencing overdose can count on a first responder to save their life," a lobbyist said. Opponents raised constitutional questions and asked how the policy would account for federal/state jurisdictions and funding. A governor's cabinet representative addressed the chamber and urged delegates to pass the bill, linking the measure to rising overdose death tolls nationally.
After floor debate, the bill was adopted by placard vote. The transcript records advocacy and statistics cited on both sides; funding mechanisms and enforcement details were discussed but not fully resolved in the portions provided.