Texas Border Business
Texas Border Business
WASHINGTON — Monica De La Cruz introduced the bipartisan Saving Lives on Campuses Act with Lou Correa, aiming to reduce overdose deaths among college students by requiring public colleges and universities to maintain opioid overdose rescue kits, including Narcan, on campus.
Fentanyl overdose is the leading cause of death for Americans between the ages of 18 and 45. The proposed legislation focuses on improving emergency response capabilities by ensuring that students and staff have access to life-saving tools during overdose incidents.
“Far too many young Americans are affected by the fentanyl epidemic,” De La Cruz said. “As a mom, my top priority is to protect our children and ensure they have the tools to help their peers during a crisis. The Saving Lives on Campuses Act will ensure that students and staff are equipped to respond effectively to an overdose and save lives.”
Correa said the legislation addresses a growing public health crisis affecting college campuses nationwide. “The opioid epidemic has ravaged communities in Orange County and across the country, and in recent years, fentanyl has taken the lives of too many college students nationwide,” Correa said. “The risk that fentanyl poses is too great to stand by as children and young adults are dying. That’s why I’ve joined Congresswoman De La Cruz in working across the aisle to make sure that the federal government equips our university students and staff with the tools they need to respond effectively to this crisis and save lives in real time.”
According to background information provided, addressing the opioid epidemic remains a legislative priority for De La Cruz. In 2024, she supported and passed the Preventing the Financing of Illegal Synthetic Drugs Act, which targets financial networks involved in the distribution of synthetic drugs such as fentanyl. The new campus-focused legislation builds on those efforts by emphasizing prevention and emergency response measures to protect students across the United States.
