A resolution designating June 6, 2025, as National Naloxone Awareness Day.
- Bill Number
- S.Res. 270
- Origin Chamber
- Senate
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Health
- Status
- Passed Senate
- Latest Action
- 2025-06-10: Submitted in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S3322; text: CR S3319-3320)
- Last Updated
- 2025-06-25T12:16:01Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
This Senate Resolution (S. Res. 270) aims to designate June 6, 2025, as "National Naloxone Awareness Day" to highlight the opioid epidemic's impact, promote education about naloxone—a safe medication that quickly reverses opioid overdoses—and encourage broader access to it as a tool for saving lives and reducing overdose deaths.
Key Provisions
The resolution includes background "Whereas" clauses outlining the opioid crisis, such as:
- Over 54,000 opioid overdose deaths in the 12 months before December 2024.
- Bystanders often witness fatal overdoses.
- Massive seizures of fentanyl (over 380 million doses in 2024), a leading cause of death for ages 18–44.
- Naloxone's role in preventing deaths, brain damage, and its endorsement by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as a key prevention tool.
- The need to educate on naloxone's benefits, safe administration, and barriers like cost.
- The 2023 Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for over-the-counter sales of certain naloxone doses.
The core "Resolved" section directs the Senate to:
- Officially designate June 6, 2025, as National Naloxone Awareness Day.
- Recognize naloxone's life-saving role in reversing overdoses.
- Acknowledge how better access empowers individuals, families, healthcare workers, and first responders to act in emergencies.
- View the day as a chance to teach the public about overdose signs and how to use naloxone.
- Urge federal, state, and local governments, plus private and nonprofit groups, to work together on naloxone access, education, and distribution.
- Call on federal agencies—like the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), CDC, Office of National Drug Control Policy, and Drug Enforcement Administration—to support awareness, harm reduction (strategies to minimize drug-related harm), and overdose prevention under the National Drug Control Strategy.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
This is a non-binding resolution expressing the Senate's view, so it introduces no enforceable changes to laws or regulations. It builds on existing efforts, such as FDA approvals for naloxone, but does not amend statutes or create new mandates.
Potential Impacts
- On citizens: Could increase public knowledge of opioid overdose risks and naloxone use, potentially saving lives by encouraging more people (including bystanders) to carry and administer it, while reducing stigma around substance use disorders and supporting recovery.
- On government agencies: Encourages (but does not require) agencies like SAMHSA and CDC to prioritize naloxone-related programs, possibly leading to more funding or initiatives for education and distribution without direct budgetary impacts.
- On communities: May foster collaborations between governments and nonprofits to address barriers like cost, improving access in high-risk areas and contributing to broader opioid crisis mitigation.
- No direct effects on international relations, as it focuses on domestic public health.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Individuals and families: Those with opioid use disorder, overdose survivors, and at-risk groups (e.g., ages 18–44), who gain from heightened awareness and access.
- Healthcare professionals and first responders: Empowered to intervene more effectively through education and resources.
- Government entities: Federal agencies (e.g., CDC, SAMHSA), state/local governments, involved in drug policy and public health.
- Nonprofits and private organizations: Encouraged to partner on distribution and anti-stigma efforts.
- Communities: Broadly impacted by the opioid epidemic, including urban and rural areas hit hardest by overdoses.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: As a simple resolution, it has no force of law and cannot compel action, but it signals congressional support for harm reduction policies, potentially influencing future legislation or agency priorities.
- Constitutional: Falls within Congress's implied powers to express opinions on public issues via resolutions, without raising separation-of-powers concerns.
- Political: Demonstrates bipartisan consensus (sponsored by senators from both parties), underscoring unified concern over the opioid crisis, which could build momentum for related bills on drug policy or funding without partisan division.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (16)
Sen. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA], Sen. Justice, James C. [R-WV], Sen. Cantwell, Maria [D-WA], Sen. Moody, Ashley [R-FL], Sen. Whitehouse, Sheldon [D-RI], Sen. Lankford, James [R-OK], Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR], Sen. Crapo, Mike [R-ID], Sen. King, Angus S., Jr. [I-ME], Sen. Risch, James E. [R-ID], Sen. Warnock, Raphael G. [D-GA], Sen. Capito, Shelley Moore [R-WV], Sen. Cortez Masto, Catherine [D-NV], Sen. Heinrich, Martin [D-NM], Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ], Sen. Rosen, Jacky [D-NV]
Recent Actions
- 2025-06-10: Submitted in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S3322; text: CR S3319-3320)
- 2025-06-10: Passed/agreed to in Senate: Submitted in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent.
- 2025-06-10: Introduced in Senate
Bill Versions
- Designating June 6, 2025, as National Naloxone Awareness Day. — issued 2025-06-10 — PDF (4 pages)