HERO Act

Key Points

• This bill creates a new grant program to help schools buy medicine that can stop an opioid overdose. Both public and private schools would be able to apply for this money to keep these life-saving drugs on hand for emergencies.
• Schools that get the money must also teach students and staff about drug prevention and how to handle medical crises. This includes training on CPR and how to recognize the signs that someone is overdosing.
• The government will give priority to schools located in cities or counties that have high rates of drug overdoses. This ensures the funding goes to the communities that are currently struggling the most with the opioid crisis.
• Any school that receives federal funding would be required to report every time they use or hand out an overdose reversal drug. This information will go to national databases to help the government track where drug problems are happening.
• Participating schools would also have to create a clear emergency plan. This plan ensures that all staff members know exactly what to do and who to call if a student or visitor overdoses on school grounds.

Impact Analysis

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