SB 851

THE SENATE
S.B. NO.
851
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025
STATE OF HAWAII
A BILL FOR AN ACT
relating
to EMERGENCY response.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
���� SECTION 1.� The
legislature finds that the opioid crisis in the State continues to take lives,
devastate families, and strain the State's health care system.� In 2022, Hawaii recorded over two
hundred eighty overdose deaths, reflecting an age-adjusted rate of 18.6 deaths
per one hundred thousand people, a rate that continues to rise.� Emergency departments across the State have reported
increasing opioid-related visits, with opioids surpassing stimulants and heroin
as the leading cause of overdose-related emergency department visits in 2022.
���� The
legislature further finds that emergency medical technicians (EMTs), including
EMT-paramedics, are often the first responders during overdose emergencies. �The State's current emergency response
protocols allows first responders to administer an opioid antagonist that
reverses opioid overdoses.� However,
administration of an opioid antagonist has unintended side effects that can
cause acute withdrawal symptoms in individuals and lead to severe distress, refusal
of further treatment, or increased risk of repeat overdoses.
���� The
legislature additionally finds that the medication buprenorphine is proven to prevent
withdrawal symptoms that may discourage engagement with recovery services.� The administration of buprenorphine after an
opioid antagonist may reduce the risk of repeat overdoses and provide a bridge
to treatment, significantly increasing the likelihood of long-term recovery.�
���� The
legislature also finds that many other states have recognized the public health
benefits of using buprenorphine in their emergency medical services
protocols.� In California, the EMS buprenorphine
use pilot program implemented in Contra Costa County allows paramedics to
administer buprenorphine to patients in the prehospital setting, with results
showing the administration of buprenorphine can effectively initiate opioid use
disorder treatment in the field.� New
Mexico's EMS bridge program, which allows EMTs to administer buprenorphine in
the field, shows evidence that patients receiving buprenorphine were eighty per
cent more likely to connect with addiction treatment services.� Finally, Massachusetts and Rhode Island have
enacted similar measures that allow certain first responders to administer
buprenorphine to individuals experiencing an opioid overdose, with each state
reporting measurable declines in opioid overdose deaths and improved continuity
of care.
���� The
legislature believes that incorporating the administration of buprenorphine
into the State's emergency medical services protocols can:
���� (1)� Equip
first responders with the tools to provide comprehensive, life-saving care;
���� (2)� Modernize
the State's emergency medical services protocols to algin with proven national
models;
���� (3)� Treat
opioid overdoses with the urgency and care they require; and
���� (4)� Reduce
the number of unnecessary visits to the emergency department and hospital
readmissions, thereby reducing the burden on the State's health care system.
���� Accordingly,
the purpose of this Act is to:
���� (1)� Authorize
EMTs in the State to administer buprenorphine after the administration of an
opioid antagonist during an opioid overdose response; and
���� (2)� Require
the department of health to adopt rules, allocate resources for EMT training,
and coordinate with emergency medical services providers in the State, to incorporate
the administration of buprenorphine after the administration of an opioid
antagonist as a standard component of emergency medical services' protocols
during an opioid overdose response.
���� SECTION
2.� Section 329E-3,
Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:
���� "[[[]]�329E-3[[]]]� Opioid antagonist administration; emergency
personnel and first responders.� (a)� Beginning on January 1, 2017, every emergency
medical technician licensed and registered in [[Hawaii]] the State
and all law enforcement officers, firefighters, and lifeguards shall be
authorized to administer an opioid antagonist as clinically indicated.
���� (b)� Every emergency medical technician licensed
and registered in the State shall be authorized to administer buprenorphine
after the administration of an opioid antagonist pursuant to subsection (a).
���� (c)� The department of health shall:
���� (1)� Adopt rules to:
��������� (A)� Classify an opioid-related drug overdose
as a life-threatening emergency, equivalent to heart attacks and strokes,
requiring standard protocols designed to stabilize the affected individual's
physical conditions and reduce the risk of repeat occurrences; and
��������� (B)� Incorporate the administration of
buprenorphine after the administration of an opioid antagonist as a standard
component of emergency medical services' protocols during an opioid-related
drug overdose response in alignment with national best practices, including
guidelines for coordinating with hospitals and treatment providers for patients
transitioning into recovery services.
���� (2)� Allocate resources to train
emergency medical technicians in buprenorphine administration; and
���� (3)� Coordinate with emergency medical
services providers in the State to implement this section."
���� SECTION 2.�
Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken.� New statutory material is underscored.
���� SECTION 3.�
This Act shall take effect upon its approval.
INTRODUCED BY:
_____________________________
Report Title:
DOH;
EMTs; EMT-Paramedics; Buprenorphine; Opioid Antagonist; Training; Rules
Description:
Authorizes
emergency medical technicians in the State to administer buprenorphine after
the administration of an opioid antagonist during an opioid-related drug overdose
response.� Requires the Department of Health
to adopt rules, allocate resources for EMT training, and coordinate with
emergency medical services providers in the State, to incorporate the
administration of buprenorphine after the administration of an opioid
antagonist as a standard component of emergency medical services' protocols
during an opioid-related drug overdose response.
The summary description
of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is
not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.