HB 6: "An Act relating to the duties of the Department of Education and Early Development; relating to public education; relating to opioid abuse awareness and prevention; and providing for an effective date."
00 HOUSE BILL NO. 6 01 "An Act relating to the duties of the Department of Education and Early Development; 02 relating to public education; relating to opioid abuse awareness and prevention; and 03 providing for an effective date." 04 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 05 * Section 1. AS 14.30 is amended by adding a new section to read: 06 Sec. 14.30.363. Opioid abuse awareness and prevention curriculum. (a) 07 The department shall develop an opioid abuse awareness and prevention curriculum 08 for students in grades six through 12 relating to the dangers associated with, and the 09 physical, psychological, and physiological consequences related to, opioid abuse and 10 opioid addiction. The curriculum must provide at least 60 minutes of instruction 11 annually relating to opioid abuse awareness and prevention, including 12 (1) the dangers of using opioids, including drugs that may contain 13 fentanyl; 14 (2) awareness of opioids that target children, including drugs
01 containing fentanyl that are designed to look like candy; 02 (3) the science related to using opioids, including drugs that contain 03 fentanyl; 04 (4) prevention of opioid abuse, including safe use of opioid 05 prescription medications; and 06 (5) detection of early warning signs related to opioid addiction in 07 school-aged children. 08 (b) In developing the curriculum, the department shall consult with 09 (1) the Department of Health; 10 (2) state and tribal entities and state residents that have experience in 11 reducing, preventing, and responding to opioid overdoses, including overdoses caused 12 by drugs containing fentanyl; and 13 (3) family members of individuals who have had an opioid overdose, 14 including overdoses caused by drugs containing fentanyl. 15 (c) Each school district shall teach the curriculum 16 (1) to students in grades six through 12; and 17 (2) during, or as close as practicable to, the last week in October. 18 (d) In this section, 19 (1) "curriculum" means the opioid abuse awareness and prevention 20 curriculum described in (a) of this section; 21 (2) "drugs" has the meaning given in AS 47.37.270; 22 (3) "opioid" has the meaning given in AS 17.20.085(e); 23 (4) "opioid abuse" and "opioid addiction" mean 24 (A) a physiological or psychological dependency, or both, on 25 an opioid; or 26 (B) habitual lack of self-control in using opioids to the extent 27 that a person's health is substantially impaired or a person's social or economic 28 function is substantially disrupted; 29 (5) "school district" has the meaning given in AS 14.30.350. 30 * Sec. 2. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 31 read:
01 TRANSITION. (a) The Department of Education and Early Development may adopt 02 regulations necessary to implement this Act. The regulations take effect under AS 44.62 03 (Administrative Procedure Act), but not before the effective date of the law implemented by 04 the regulation. 05 (b) Not later than June 30, 2023, the Department of Education and Early 06 Development shall develop an opioid abuse awareness and prevention curriculum as 07 described in AS 14.30.363(a), enacted by sec. 1 of this Act. 08 * Sec. 3. AS 14.30.363(c), enacted by sec. 1 of this Act, takes effect September 1, 2023. 09 * Sec. 4. Except as provided in sec. 3 of this Act, this Act takes effect immediately under 10 AS 01.10.070(c).