S. 707: Opioid Overdose Reduction Act of 2015
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S. 707: Opioid Overdose Reduction Act of 2015
114th Congress · introduced 2015-03-11 · Health · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
federal
Follow this bill, step by step
- Where it came from: introduced 2015-03-11 · official record
- Who proposed it: Sen. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA] · what a sponsor is
- What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
- Where it stands now: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
- If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.
Official title
Opioid Overdose Reduction Act of 2015
Plain summary
Opioid Overdose Reduction Act of 2015 This bill exempts individuals from liability for harm caused by the emergency administration of an opioid overdose drug under certain circumstances. (An opioid is a drug with effects similar to opium, such as heroin.) The individuals exempted from liability are: a health care professional who prescribes or provides an opioid overdose drug to an individual at risk of experiencing an opioid overdose or to another individual in a position to assist an at-risk individual, if the individual prescribed or provided the drug has been educated about opioid overdose prevention and treatment by the health care professional or as part of a government opioid overdose program; an individual who provides an opioid overdose drug for emergency administration to another individual authorized to receive it as part of an opioid overdose program; and an individual who administers an opioid overdose drug to another individual who appears to have suffered an opioid overdose if the administering individual obtained the drug from a health care professional or as part of an opioid overdose program and was educated by the professional or program in the proper administration of the drug. These exemptions are inapplicable if the harm was caused by gross negligence or reckless misconduct. States can preempt these exemptions by providing additional protections from liability for individuals that administer opioid overdose drugs, or by enacting legislation making this Act not applicable to state civil action involving only citizens from that state.
Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.
What a vote does
A “Yea” vote
If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.
A “Nay” vote
If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.
PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).
What does this mean? (plain words)
Official text
Opioid Overdose Reduction Act of 2015
Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)
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The strongest published arguments
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Alternatives
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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes
Officials and money
Sponsor: Sen. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA] · 5 cosponsors
Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.
Cosponsors on this site
Tim Kaine (D-VA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT)
Sponsor's campaign money: Sen. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA] reported raising $6.0 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.
No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.
Words on this page, explained (3)
- Authorization
- A law that creates or continues a government program and says what it may do, often with a suggested spending ceiling. An authorization alone does not provide money; a separate appropriation does.
- Bill
- A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
- Exemption
- A rule that removes certain people, property or activities from a tax or requirement.
Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.
Sources
- Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)
- Congress.gov
- Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-114s707.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/114/s>
Record fed-us-cong114-s707 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong114 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong114