Governor Hochul has signed into law, as Chapter 621 of the Laws of 2025, a bill that will affect all employers who are required to have first aid kits in the workplace (dental practices and even NYSDA are required to have such a kit).  The first aid kit will now have to include an opioid antagonist in it.  The bill – A.2725-A (Paulin) / S.5922-A (Fernandez) – was signed into law with a proviso for chapter amendments in 2026 to fix some ambiguities in the law.  You can read the new law below, with the Sponsor Memorandum explaining it – and attached here is the Governor’s Approval Memorandum #16 explaining the need for chapter amendments in 2026: Governor Approval Memo 16 on Workplace First Aid Kit Including Opioid Antagonist.

STATE OF NEW YORK

        ________________________________________________________________________

                                         2725--A

                               2025-2026 Regular Sessions

IN ASSEMBLY

                                    January 22, 2025                                                                                                                                                                                               ___________

        Introduced by M. of A. PAULIN -- read once and referred to the Committee on  Labor  -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee

        AN ACT to amend the labor law, in relation  to  requiring  employers  to include an opioid antagonist in first aid supplies required by federal law

          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:

  1      Section 1. The labor law is amended by adding a new section 27-f to

  2    read as follows:

  3      §  27-f.  Requiring  first  aid materials in a workplace to include an

  4    opioid antagonist. All employers that are  federally  mandated  to  have

  5    first  aid  supplies  readily available for the treatment of all injured

  6    employees must include an opioid antagonist in such first aid  supplies.

  7    For the purposes of this section, "employer" includes any person, corpo-

  8    ration,  limited   liability company, or association employing any indi-

  9    vidual in any occupation, industry, trade,  business,  or  service.  The

10    term "employer" shall not include a governmental agency.

11      § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after

12    it shall have become a law.

EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted.                                                                   LBD05773-02-5

 

BILL NUMBER: S5922A

      SPONSOR: FERNANDEZ

      TITLE OF BILL:

      An act to amend the labor law, in relation to requiring employers to include an opioid antagonist in first aid supplies required by federal law

      PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

      To require that opioid antagonists are included in First Aid materials in workplaces that are federally mandated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to have First Aid kits.

      SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

      Section one of this bill amends the Labor law by adding a new Section 27-F requiring First Aid materials in a workplace to include an opioid antagonist.

      Section two provides the effective date.

      JUSTIFICATION:

      The term "opioid" refers to a variety of substances that include both prescription medications and illegal drugs.  Opioids are highly addictive and carry transversal risks which can damage an individual's health status (NIDA, 2024).  In New York, opioid overdose deaths have increased more than 360% from 1,074 deaths in 2010 to 5,017 deaths in 2021, with a sharp increase of 70.7% from 2,939 deaths in 2019 (Department of Health, New York State Opioid Annual Report, 2023).  Additionally, workplace surveys highlighted how over 70% of employers have found opioids to be detrimental to the working environment (National Safety Council).  Indeed, opioid misuse or abuse can lead to work-related injuries or illnesses, chronic medical conditions, over-prescription in employee health services or health plans, and over-prescription in workers' compensation medical care (CDC, NIOSH, 2025).  In September 2024, California enacted a law requiring the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) to submit a draft regulation demanding that First Aid kits in the workplace contain the nasal spray naloxone hydrochloride (California State Assembly, AB. 1976, 2024).  New York's growing opioid epidemic underscores the need for protective measures like this bill, which would require certain workplaces to include opioid antagonists in their First Aid kits.  This bill is crucial for enhancing workplace and community safety in New York.

      PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

      New bill.

      FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:

      None.

      EFFECTIVE DATE:

      The act shall take effect 180 days after it shall have become law.