Creates competitive grants so private schools and local school districts can buy opioid overdose reversal drugs, and requires schools that receive federal funds to report any distribution of those drugs to two federal data systems.

Official title: HERO Act

Next stop House floor: awaiting a vote

Timeline each lane is a chamber; dates pull from congress.gov actions

House

Introduced 19-MAR-2026

Referred 19-MAR-2026

Approved by committee 21-JUL-2026

Key points

Awards one-year competitive grants through the Department of Health and Human Services to private schools and local educational agencies to buy FDA-approved overdose reversal drugs and fund related programming.
Gives priority to applicants in cities or counties with a high rate of opioid-involving drug overdoses.
Requires grant recipients to report on how the drugs were used, their emergency response plans, and their educational programming, and requires HHS to report to Congress annually.
Requires covered schools receiving federal funds to report any distribution of an overdose reversal drug to NEMSIS and ODMAP, beginning 90 days after enactment.

AI-generated from the Introduced in House text of 19-MAR-2026 · verify · report an error

Official CRS summary

Current. The Congressional Research Service's summary covers the bill's latest wording (Introduced in House, 19-MAR-2026).

CRS is the Library of Congress's nonpartisan research office. Read it on congress.gov

Committee referrals (3)

Policy area

Education

Sponsor Raul Ruiz (D-CA) Cosponsors · 1

■ 1 R

1 Republican

congress.gov page Introduced in House (19-MAR-2026)