Nebraska Statutes 28-470. Naloxone; authorized activities; immunity from administrative action, criminal prosecution, or civil liability
(1) A health professional who is authorized to prescribe or dispense naloxone, if acting with reasonable care, may prescribe, administer, or dispense naloxone to any of the following persons without being subject to administrative action or criminal prosecution:
Terms Used In Nebraska Statutes 28-470
- Action: shall include any proceeding in any court of this state. See Nebraska Statutes 49-801
- Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
- Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
- Peace officer: shall include sheriffs, coroners, jailers, marshals, police officers, state highway patrol officers, members of the National Guard on active service by direction of the Governor during periods of emergency, and all other persons with similar authority to make arrests. See Nebraska Statutes 49-801
- Person: shall include bodies politic and corporate, societies, communities, the public generally, individuals, partnerships, limited liability companies, joint-stock companies, and associations. See Nebraska Statutes 49-801
- State: when applied to different states of the United States shall be construed to extend to and include the District of Columbia and the several territories organized by Congress. See Nebraska Statutes 49-801
(a) A person who is apparently experiencing or who is likely to experience an opioid-related overdose; or
(b) A family member, friend, or other person in a position to assist a person who is apparently experiencing or who is likely to experience an opioid-related overdose.
(2) A family member, friend, or other person, including school personnel, who is in a position to assist a person who is apparently experiencing or who is likely to experience an opioid-related overdose, other than an emergency responder or peace officer, is not subject to actions under the Uniform Credentialing Act, administrative action, or criminal prosecution if the person, acting in good faith, obtains naloxone from a health professional or a prescription for naloxone from a health professional and administers the naloxone obtained from the health professional or acquired pursuant to the prescription to a person who is apparently experiencing an opioid-related overdose.
(3) An emergency responder who, acting in good faith, obtains naloxone from the emergency responder’s emergency medical service organization and administers the naloxone to a person who is apparently experiencing an opioid-related overdose shall not be:
(a) Subject to administrative action or criminal prosecution; or
(b) Personally liable in any civil action to respond in damages as a result of his or her acts of commission or omission arising out of and in the course of his or her rendering such care or services or arising out of his or her failure to act to provide or arrange for further medical treatment or care for the person who is apparently experiencing an opioid-related overdose, unless the emergency responder caused damage or injury by his or her willful, wanton, or grossly negligent act of commission or omission. This subdivision shall not affect the liability of such emergency medical service organization for the emergency responder’s acts of commission or omission.
(4) A peace officer or law enforcement employee who, acting in good faith, obtains naloxone from the peace officer’s or employee’s law enforcement agency and administers the naloxone to a person who is apparently experiencing an opioid-related overdose shall not be:
(a) Subject to administrative action or criminal prosecution; or
(b) Personally liable in any civil action to respond in damages as a result of his or her acts of commission or omission arising out of and in the course of his or her rendering such care or services or arising out of his or her failure to act to provide or arrange for further medical treatment or care for the person who is apparently experiencing an opioid-related overdose, unless the peace officer or employee caused damage or injury by his or her willful, wanton, or grossly negligent act of commission or omission. This subdivision shall not affect the liability of such law enforcement agency for the peace officer’s or employee’s acts of commission or omission.
(5) For purposes of this section:
(a) Administer has the same meaning as in section 38-2806 ;
(b) Dispense has the same meaning as in section 38-2817 ;
(c) Emergency responder means an emergency medical responder, an emergency medical technician, an advanced emergency medical technician, or a paramedic licensed under the Emergency Medical Services Practice Act or practicing pursuant to the EMS Personnel Licensure Interstate Compact;
(d) Health professional means a physician, physician assistant, nurse practitioner, or pharmacist licensed under the Uniform Credentialing Act;
(e) Law enforcement agency means a police department, a town marshal, the office of sheriff, or the Nebraska State Patrol;
(f) Law enforcement employee means an employee of a law enforcement agency, a contractor of a law enforcement agency, or an employee of such contractor who regularly, as part of his or her duties, handles, processes, or is likely to come into contact with any evidence or property which may include or contain opioids;
(g) Naloxone means naloxone hydrochloride; and
(h) Peace officer has the same meaning as in section 49-801.