WORK to Save Lives Act

Key Points

• This bill, introduced by Mrs. Watson Coleman, aims to prevent drug overdose deaths by making life-saving medicine more common in workplaces. It focuses on medications like Narcan, which can stop an opioid overdose while it is happening.
• All federal government agencies would be required to buy and keep these overdose reversal kits on-site. These agencies would also have to offer free, voluntary training once a year to any employees who want to learn how to use the kits.
• For private businesses, the Labor Department would create a set of "how-to" guides. These guides would explain how to get the medicine and how to train staff, but private companies would not be forced to follow them.
• The policy treats drug overdoses as a workplace safety issue, similar to having fire extinguishers or first-aid kits. By having the medicine ready, coworkers could potentially save a life before an ambulance arrives.
• If the bill becomes law, the Labor Department would have 270 days to finish the new rules for federal offices and the advice for private businesses.

Impact Analysis

Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.