H.R. 7994

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7994 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 7994

To establish a grant program to provide schools with opioid overdose 
reversal drugs, to direct schools receiving Federal funds to report to 
certain Federal information systems any distribution of an opioid 
overdose reversal drug, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

March 19, 2026

Mr. Ruiz introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on 
Education and Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by 
the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 
within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To establish a grant program to provide schools with opioid overdose 
reversal drugs, to direct schools receiving Federal funds to report to 
certain Federal information systems any distribution of an opioid 
overdose reversal drug, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Helping Educators Respond to 
Overdoses Act'' or the ``HERO Act''.

SEC. 2. SCHOOL GRANTS FOR OPIOID OVERDOSE REVERSAL DRUGS.

(a) In General.--Beginning not later than 90 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, 
acting through the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance 
Use (in this section referred to as the ``Secretary''), in consultation 
with the Secretary of Education, shall award grants, on a competitive 
basis, to eligible entities--
(1) to purchase opioid overdose reversal drugs that are 
approved under section 505 of the Federal Food, Drug, and 
Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 355); and
(2) to develop and implement the educational programming or 
resources referred to in subsection (b)(2)(C).
(b) Applications.--
(1) In general.--To be eligible for a grant under this 
section, an eligible entity shall submit to the Secretary an 
application in such form, at such time, and containing such 
information as the Secretary determines appropriate, which 
shall include the material required under paragraph (2).
(2) Application requirements.--An application submitted by 
an eligible entity under paragraph (1) shall include the 
following:
(A) A description of how the eligible entity will 
use a grant received under this section.
(B) An assurance that the eligible entity will, in 
consultation with the local health department, develop 
and implement--
(i) in the case of an eligible entity that 
is a private school, a comprehensive emergency 
response plan for the staff of the school; and
(ii) in the case of an eligible entity that 
is a local educational agency, such a plan for 
the staff of each school that is served by the 
local educational agency.
(C) An assurance that the eligible entity will 
develop and implement educational programming or 
resources (which may include programming or resources 
developed by the Secretary) to promote student and 
community knowledge of cardiopulmonary resuscitation 
(commonly known as ``CPR''), drug-use prevention and 
intervention, and emergency responses to drug 
overdoses.
(c) Priority.--In awarding grants under this section, the Secretary 
shall give priority to any eligible entity that is in a city or county 
with a high rate of drug overdoses involving opioids.
(d) Grant Period.--A grant awarded under this section shall be for 
a period of 1 year.
(e) Reports.--
(1) Grant recipients.--Not later than 1 year after the date 
on which the grant period referred to in subsection (d) ends, 
the recipient of a grant under this section shall submit to the 
Secretary a report that contains the following:
(A) A description of the use the recipient made of 
the opioid overdose reversal drugs purchased with the 
grant.
(B) A description of the comprehensive emergency 
response plan referred to in subsection (b)(2)(B).
(C) A description of the educational programming or 
resources referred to in subsection (b)(2)(C).
(2) Secretary.--Not later than 2 years after the date of 
enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary, 
in consultation with the Secretary of Education, shall submit 
to Congress a report that summarizes all information received 
by the Secretary in the reports referred to in paragraph (1).
(f) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Charter school.--The term ``charter school'' has the 
meaning given such term in section 4310 of the Elementary and 
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7221i).
(2) Elementary school, secondary school, and local 
educational agency.--The terms ``elementary school'', 
``secondary school'', and ``local educational agency'' have the 
meanings given such terms, respectively, in section 8101 of the 
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
7801).
(3) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means--
(A) a private elementary school or private 
secondary school; and
(B) a local educational agency, including a charter 
school that is a local educational agency, or a 
consortium of local educational agencies.

SEC. 3. REPORTING TO FEDERAL INFORMATION SYSTEMS OF SCHOOL DISTRIBUTION 
OF OPIOID OVERDOSE REVERSAL DRUGS.

(a) In General.--Beginning not later than 90 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, a covered educational institution receiving 
Federal funds shall submit a description of any distribution of an 
opioid overdose reversal drug by such institution to--
(1) the National Emergency Medical Services Information 
System (commonly known as ``NEMSIS''); and
(2) the Overdose Detection Mapping Application Program of 
the Washington/Baltimore High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area 
(commonly known as ``ODMAP'').
(b) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Charter school.--The term ``charter school'' has the 
meaning given such term in section 4310 of the Elementary and 
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7221i).
(2) Covered educational institution.--The term ``covered 
educational institution'' means--
(A) a private elementary school or private 
secondary school; and
(B) a local educational agency, including a charter 
school that is a local educational agency.
(3) Elementary school, secondary school, and local 
educational agency.--The terms ``elementary school'', 
``secondary school'', and ``local educational agency'' have the 
meanings given such terms, respectively, in section 8101 of the 
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
7801).
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