AB 2150 adds employer-paid naloxone training for employees required to certify in CPR
Oct 4, 2026 edition · GC-2026-0136 · Published 2026-10-04 · Version 2 · Final
AB 2150 adds employer-paid, EMSA-approved naloxone video training for employees required to certify in CPR. Equivalent training requires an EMSA determination and retained documentation; clinical staffing alone creates no exemption, and the training grants no medication-administration authority.
What happened
California enacted AB 2150 on September 20 as Chapter 384, adding Health and Safety Code section 1797.197b under the ordinary January 1, 2027 effective-date rule. An employer operating in California that requires employee CPR certification must also require approved online video training on naloxone use and pay its cost. The module is separate from the existing CPR curriculum. EMSA reviews content for recognition of overdose signs, appropriate emergency response and proper administration of naloxone or other approved opioid antagonists; its assigned role does not include administering or monitoring employer compliance.
An employee’s existing CPR, first-aid or other program can satisfy the requirement if EMSA determines the training meets or exceeds the minimum standards and the employer keeps documentation. Existing clinical staffing or internal medication policies alone do not exempt a covered employer. The training is for education and preparedness and creates no independent duty, authority or expectation to administer naloxone; licensing, delegation and medication-administration laws remain. The section establishes a minimum and preserves authority for more protective rules covering additional employers, frequency or content, so completion does not establish compliance with every other training requirement.
Scope and timing
- Authority status
- Final
- Applicability
- Directly applicable
- Audience
- Health systems, Provider networks
- Jurisdiction
- California
Why it matters
A clinical workforce can still include employees within the CPR-triggered training rule. Employers need evidence of approved content or actual equivalency, while maintaining the distinction between being trained and being legally authorized to administer medication.
Recommended action
Identify CPR-certification requirements and budget qualifying training before January 1, 2027. Retain completion records or the documented EMSA equivalency basis. Keep medication-administration and scope controls intact and track any separate, more protective training rules.
Sources
- AB 2150, Chapter 384, final textOfficial · California Legislature · 2026-09-20 · Source review 2026-10-01
- AB 2150 official bill historyOfficial · California Legislature · 2026-09-20 · Source review 2026-10-01
- AB2150 chaptered text, retained official rendered documentOfficial · California Legislature · 2026-09-20 · Source review 2026-10-15
- Official Assembly 2023-24 Constitution, Article IV section 8Official · California Legislature · Source review 2026-10-14
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