NEWS: Harder’s Bill to Protect Law Enforcement from Fentanyl Exposure Heads to President Trump’s Desk

One in five emergency medical service calls are for overdose response

First responders are likely to come into contact with wide range of illicit drugs during routine duties

STOCKTON – Today, Rep. Josh Harder (CA-09) announced that his bipartisan bill to protect law enforcement from fentanyl exposure  has passed the U.S. Senate and is headed to President Trump’s desk to be signed into law. The Safer Response Act, led with Rep. Mike Lawler (NY-17), funds a grant training program to expand overdose training for local first responders and law enforcement. The bill was included as part of a broader package of substance use prevention and recovery legislation.

First responders step into danger when responding to overdose calls:

• Overdose response accounts for up to one-in-five emergency medical service calls, particularly in urban areas, with numbers continuing to rise.
• First responders are likely to come into contact with a wide range of illicit drugs during routine duties, which can range from inhalation to skin absorption.

"Law enforcement officers put themselves in harm’s way every day to keep our families safe - we owe it to them to do everything we can to protect them," said Rep. Harder. "The Safer Response Act gives our brave men and women in uniform the best tools and training available when responding to dangerous fentanyl overdoses. I’m proud to see our bipartisan bill headed to President Trump’s desk to be signed into law."

How the Safer Response Act supports law enforcement:

• New technical assistance for local first responders to address overdoses.
• Additional training on how first responders and emergency medical services can protect themselves in the event of exposure.
• Outreach coordination teams to bridge gaps between public and private medical and emergency response partnerships.

“Over 80,000 lives were lost last year to overdoses and opioids like fentanyl continue to proliferate in our communities,” said Rep. Lawler. “I’m proud to co-lead the reintroduction of the Safer Response Act with Congressman Josh Harder to equip our first responders with the training and tools necessary to fight the opioid epidemic and save lives.”

Harder has made cracking down on the growing fentanyl crisis a top priority – he helped pass a bipartisan bill to put more fentanyl traffickers behind bars, and he is leading new legislation to close drug manufacturing loopholes that traffickers use to escape justice. Earlier this year, Harder met with more than 200 narcotics officers representing state associations across the country, including in California, as part of the National Narcotic Officers' Associations' Coalition’s (NNOAC) 2025 Delegate Conference. 

###