Xanax pills (Photo: USA TODAY)
Sacramento, California – A new California bill aims to ensure college students are not academically punished when calling for emergency help during an overdose, extending current Good Samaritan protections to university campuses.
Assembly Bill 602, introduced by Assemblymember Matt Haney (D-San Francisco), would prohibit academic institutions—including University of California (UC), California State University (CSU), and community college campuses—from disciplining students who report drug overdoses in emergencies. The legislation does not apply to private colleges.
Haney said the measure responds to a worsening opioid crisis in the state. Nearly 7,000 Californians died from opioid-related overdoses in 2022—double the number from five years earlier, he noted.
TJ McGee, a UC Berkeley student and overdose survivor, shared his personal experience during a press event supporting the bill. “I never thought I would overdose in my freshman year dorm,” he said. “Instead of being met with care, compassion or even basic support, I was met with disciplinary action.”
California’s Good Samaritan laws protect individuals from criminal charges when seeking help during medical emergencies. However, students can still face consequences from their schools, including academic penalties or expulsion.
McGee described a lack of institutional support following his overdose. “The institution didn’t ask me why I had overdosed or how I was coping,” he said. “The message was clear: I was a problem that needed to be managed, not a student in crisis that needed help.”
Haney emphasized that the proposed law does not prevent universities from requiring counseling or treatment. “But the punishment part of this is dangerous,” he said.
He also clarified that AB 602 would not protect students involved in drug dealing or those found in possession of drugs in non-emergency situations.
Some campuses have already adopted similar policies. San Diego State University, for exam
