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119-hr-7994119th CongressWALLET

HERO Act

Sponsored By: Representative Ruiz, Raul [D-CA-25]

In Committee

Summary

Provides federal grants to K-12 schools to buy opioid overdose reversal drugs and fund training. The program would be run by the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use at HHS with help from the Education Department, and it would prioritize schools in areas with high opioid overdose rates.

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  • Private elementary and secondary schools and local education agencies, including charter LEAs, could compete for 1-year grants to purchase overdose reversal drugs and create emergency response plans.
  • School staff, students, and families would get funded educational programming on CPR, drug-use prevention, intervention, and overdose response to improve readiness.
  • Applicants in cities or counties with high opioid-related overdose rates get priority, directing resources to the hardest-hit communities.
  • Grant recipients must report within 1 year after their grant ends, and HHS must send Congress a summary starting 2 years after enactment and then annually.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

2 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.

School grants for overdose response

The bill would create a competitive HHS grant program to help K–12 schools buy opioid overdose reversal drugs and pay for training and prevention. Grants would be awarded no later than 90 days after enactment and would run for one year. Eligible applicants would include private elementary and secondary schools, local educational agencies (including charter LEAs), and consortia of LEAs. Applications must include a plan, an emergency response plan developed with the local health department, and educational programming; the Secretary would prioritize places with high opioid overdose rates. Grant recipients would report to HHS within one year after the grant ends, and HHS would report to Congress starting not later than two years after enactment and annually thereafter.

Schools must report overdose reversals

Starting within 90 days after enactment, the bill would require any covered school that gets Federal funds to report any distribution of an opioid overdose reversal drug to two federal data systems, NEMSIS and ODMAP. Covered educational institutions include private elementary and secondary schools and local educational agencies, including charter schools that are LEAs. The rule would increase public‑health surveillance but would also create new operational and reporting burdens for affected schools.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Ruiz, Raul [D-CA-25]

CA • D

Cosponsors

  • Rep. Bilirakis, Gus M. [R-FL-12]

    FL • R

    Sponsored 7/16/2026

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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