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California Law Directs Cal/OSHA to Draft Standards for Opioid Overdose Reversal Drugs in First Aid Kits

By Karen F. Tynan, Robert C. Rodriguez, and Michael Clarkson
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On September 27, 2024, Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law legislation that requires the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) to submit a draft rulemaking proposal to revise the California Code of Regulations to require that workplace first aid materials include naloxone hydrochloride or another opioid antagonist to reverse an opioid overdose.

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Quick Hits

  • Governor Newsom recently signed into law legislation directing Cal/OSHA to begin the rulemaking process to add naloxone hydrochloride or another opioid antagonist to first aid kits.
  • The California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board will have until December 1, 2028, to consider adopting the proposed standards.

The new law, Assembly Bill (AB) No. 1976, requires the California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board to consider for adoption revised standards that provide guidance to employers on the proper storage of opioid overdose reversal compounds by December 1, 2028.

The California Health and Safety Code includes Good Samaritan protections for people who voluntarily provide emergency medical or nonmedical care, including to administer naloxone. Now that AB 1976 has been signed into law, Cal/OSHA will begin the rulemaking process with draft regulations and public comment.

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California , Drug Testing , State Developments , Workplace Safety and Health

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