New York Law Will Require Naloxone in Workplace First Aid Kits by December

Governor Kathy Hochul signed legislation February 13 that will require thousands of New York employers to stock naloxone — the overdose-reversing medication commonly known as Narcan — in workplace first aid kits. The law takes effect December 13, 2026, giving employers ten months to prepare.

Under the amended Labor Law §27-f, any private employer already required by federal OSHA rules to maintain first aid supplies must now include an FDA-approved opioid antagonist among those supplies. The requirement doesn't apply to government agencies, but covers industries from construction sites and warehouses to offices and retail stores — anywhere federal workplace safety standards mandate first aid kits.

The law responds to a crisis that has killed more than 20,000 New Yorkers since 2020, when opioid overdose deaths jumped 44 percent in a single year. Naloxone works by blocking opioid receptors in the brain, reversing respiratory failure within minutes when someone overdoses on heroin, fentanyl, or prescription painkillers.

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What Employers Need to Know

The original bill passed in December 2025. The February amendment clarified who it covers: any private business employing workers in any occupation. It also defined "opioid antagonist" as naloxone or other medications approved by the state Department of Health.

The New York State Department of Labor, working with the Department of Health, must issue regulations before the December deadline. Those rules will specify how many doses employers need based on workplace size, training requirements for staff, and guidance on storage and access.

Until regulations land, businesses should review their current first aid protocols and budget for naloxone supplies. Assemblywoman Amy Paulin, a bill sponsor, put it plainly: "Opioid overdoses stop breathing, but drugs like Narcan are quick and easy to administer and can restore breathing within minutes. The key is that it's nearby and accessible."

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Why Workplaces Matter

Overdoses happen everywhere. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates thousands of opioid-related emergencies occur in workplaces each year — employees experiencing withdrawal, visitors with undiagnosed use disorders, accidental exposure on job sites. By requiring naloxone where first aid is already mandated, the law turns workplaces into another node in New York's overdose prevention network, alongside schools, libraries, and public spaces where the medication is already available.

New York City recently expanded its peer-led overdose prevention program to hospitals across Brooklyn. Standing orders allow pharmacies statewide to dispense naloxone without a prescription. The workplace requirement adds one more place where the drug can be accessed immediately, when seconds decide outcomes.

Employers should watch for forthcoming guidance from the Department of Labor and make sure staff know where naloxone is stored and how to use it. The law doesn't just require the medication. It requires it to be ready.