HB 1006: Public Health, Department of; require inclusion of an opioid antagonist in first aid kits maintained at certain establishments

Georgia law already requires opioid antagonists such as Narcan to be available in schools and government buildings. This bill extends that idea to bars and restaurants, where the sponsors say opioid use may be more common. It adds a new section to Georgia's public health code (O.C.G.A. § 31-2A-21) requiring bar and restaurant employers to keep at least three doses of an opioid antagonist in a first aid kit on site. The bill also requires those employers to train staff on how and when to give the antidote, to keep at least one trained staff member on site during business hours, and to post a legal notice about immunity from lawsuits or prosecution. Anyone acting in good faith to administer the antidote during a suspected overdose is protected from civil and criminal liability, though the protection does not cover willful misconduct, gross negligence, or recklessness. The bill also declares it legal for any individual to possess an opioid antagonist on bar or restaurant premises.

• Requires bar and restaurant employers to keep at least three doses of an opioid antagonist stored in a first aid kit on the premises.
• Requires those employers to create a training policy so staff know where the antidote is kept and how to give it during a suspected overdose.
• Requires at least one trained staff member to be present whenever the bar or restaurant is open to the public.
• Grants trained staff immunity from civil lawsuits and criminal charges for good-faith attempts to reverse an overdose, unless the conduct was willful misconduct, gross negligence, or recklessness.
• Allows any individual to legally possess an opioid antagonist while on bar or restaurant premises.

Bar and restaurant owners and managers, their employees, and patrons of those establishments across Georgia. It also touches the Department of Public Health, which can add further training requirements through regulation.

If a customer or worker overdoses on opioids at a bar or restaurant, trained staff would have Narcan-type medication on hand and legal protection to use it, potentially speeding up emergency response in settings the bill's sponsors say see more opioid activity than schools or government buildings.

• Section 1 lays out legislative findings, noting the 2023-2024 law requiring opioid antagonists in schools and government buildings and citing federal OSHA first aid rules for workplaces like bars and restaurants.
• Section 2 adds new Code Section 31-2A-21, defining terms such as 'bar,' 'restaurant,' 'opioid antagonist,' and 'first aid kit.'
• Subsection (b) says no individual can be barred from possessing an opioid antagonist on bar or restaurant premises.
• Subsection (c) requires employers to stock at least three doses of an opioid antagonist in a first aid kit on site, per manufacturer instructions.
• Subsection (d) requires a written training and implementation policy covering storage location, administration training, a good-faith statement, and a required immunity notice, with room for the Department of Public Health to add more requirements by regulation.
• Subsection (e) requires at least one trained staff member to be present whenever the establishment is open to the public.
• Subsection (f) grants trained staff immunity from civil liability and criminal prosecution for good-faith administration of the antidote, excluding willful misconduct, gross negligence, or recklessness.
• Section 3 repeals conflicting laws.

1. 2026-01-28House Second Readers (House)
2. 2026-01-27House First Readers (House)
3. 2026-01-16House Hopper (House)

• Carolyn Hugley (D, HD-141)Primary sponsor
• Al Williams (D, HD-168)
• Dar'shun Kendrick (D, HD-095)

• opioid crisis
• Narcan availability
• bar and restaurant regulations
• public health law
• workplace safety