HR6789-119

What This Bill Does

The Federal Prisons Naloxone Access Act adds a new 18 U.S.C. 4052 requiring opioid antagonist access in Bureau of Prisons facilities. The Director of the Bureau of Prisons must ensure an adequate number of opioid antagonist kits at every BOP correctional facility. Kits must be available in medical housing units, staff breakrooms, visiting areas, living quarters, recreation spaces, dining halls, housing units, work and program locations, hallways, corridor posts, security checkpoints, educational and religious areas, and any area where incarcerated people congregate. Kits must be stored at room temperature, out of direct sunlight, in secure areas accessible to facility personnel, and checked for expiration replacement. Incarcerated persons must be able to access kits to administer them to people who are overdosing. BOP medical staff must provide annual training to personnel and incarcerated people on administering opioid antagonists and recognizing overdose signs or symptoms. The Director must ensure each use is documented, including the circumstances and outcome.

Who Benefits and How

Incarcerated people benefit because naloxone or other opioid antagonists become more available where overdoses may happen, including housing, recreation, dining, work, education, and religious areas. Federal prison staff benefit from annual training and ready access to overdose reversal kits. People experiencing an overdose benefit from faster response by staff or trained incarcerated people. Families of incarcerated people and prison health advocates benefit from a federal standard that reduces avoidable overdose death risk.

Who Bears the Burden and How

Bureau of Prisons administrators must purchase, place, store, secure, inspect, and replace opioid antagonist kits across facilities. BOP medical staff must train personnel and incarcerated people annually. Correctional officers and facility staff must manage access, respond to overdoses, and document each use. Federal taxpayers fund kit procurement, training, storage, replacement, and reporting. Facility administrators must balance secure storage with timely access by personnel and incarcerated people.

Key Provisions

• Requires adequate opioid antagonist kits throughout every Bureau of Prisons correctional facility.
• Requires kits in medical, staff, visiting, living, recreation, dining, housing, work, education, religious, and congregation areas.
• Provides access for incarcerated people to administer kits to people who are overdosing.
• Requires annual staff and incarcerated-person training by BOP medical staff.
• Requires documentation of each opioid antagonist administration event.