---
type: "Bill"
title: "Naloxone or other opioid antagonist; possession and administration, liability."
description: "Naloxone; possession and administration. Provides that a person who is not otherwise authorized to administer naloxone or other opioid antagonist used for overdose reversal may administer naloxone or other opioid antagonist used for overdose reversal to a person who is believed to be experiencing or about to experience a life-threatening opioid overdose, provided that the administration is in good faith and absent gross negligence or willful and wanton misconduct."
jurisdiction: "us/states/va"
legislature: "Virginia General Assembly"
session: "2020"
identifier: "SB 566"
citation: "Virginia SB 566 (2020)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["John S. Edwards"]
version_count: 4
action_count: 29
vote_count: 6
first_action: "2020-01-07"
last_action: "2020-04-10"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/f8173f3b-a3ea-4a9e-a468-7b122f697934"
source_url: "https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?201+sum+SB566"
source_hash: "c26767049261b959d5fb5a3eaab8a29fc602ea2f0716fc8acd388359c7cf5680"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-va"]
---

# Virginia SB 566 (2020) — Naloxone or other opioid antagonist; possession and administration, liability.

Naloxone; possession and administration. Provides that a person who is not otherwise authorized to administer naloxone or other opioid antagonist used for overdose reversal may administer naloxone or other opioid antagonist used for overdose reversal to a person who is believed to be experiencing or about to experience a life-threatening opioid overdose, provided that the administration is in good faith and absent gross negligence or willful and wanton misconduct.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP1095)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?201+ful+CHAP1095)
2. **Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB566ER)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?201+ful+SB566ER)
3. **Engrossed by Senate as amended SB566E** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?201+ful+SB566E)
4. **Impact statement from DPB (SB566)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?201+ful+SB566)

## Votes

- Constitutional reading dispensed (37-Y 0-N) — **37–0** (pass) · upper
- Constitutional reading dispensed (39-Y 0-N) — **39–0** (pass) · upper
- Passed Senate (39-Y 0-N) — **39–0** (pass) · upper
- Reported from Health, Welfare and Institutions (22-Y 0-N) — **22–0** (pass) · lower
- VOTE: Block Vote Passage (100-Y 0-N) — **99–0** (pass) · lower
- Reported from Education and Health with amendment (15-Y 0-N) — **15–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- John S. Edwards — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2020-01-07** Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/08/20 20104900D `introduction`
- **2020-01-07** Referred to Committee on Education and Health `referral-committee`
- **2020-01-27** Assigned Education sub: Health Professions `referral-committee`
- **2020-01-28** Impact statement from DPB (SB566)
- **2020-02-06** Reported from Education and Health with amendment (15-Y 0-N) `committee-passage`
- **2020-02-07** Constitutional reading dispensed (37-Y 0-N)
- **2020-02-10** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2020-02-10** Reading of amendment waived
- **2020-02-10** Committee amendment agreed to
- **2020-02-10** Engrossed by Senate as amended SB566E
- **2020-02-10** Constitutional reading dispensed (39-Y 0-N)
- **2020-02-10** Passed Senate (39-Y 0-N) `passage`
- **2020-02-10** Printed as engrossed 20104900D-E
- **2020-02-11** Impact statement from DPB (SB566E)
- **2020-02-18** Placed on Calendar
- **2020-02-18** Read first time `reading-1`
- **2020-02-18** Referred to Committee on Health, Welfare and Institutions `referral-committee`
- **2020-02-25** Reported from Health, Welfare and Institutions (22-Y 0-N) `committee-passage`
- **2020-02-27** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2020-02-28** Read third time `reading-3`
- **2020-02-28** Passed House BLOCK VOTE (100-Y 0-N) `passage`
- **2020-02-28** VOTE: Block Vote Passage (100-Y 0-N)
- **2020-03-05** Enrolled
- **2020-03-05** Impact statement from DPB (SB566ER)
- **2020-03-06** Signed by Speaker
- **2020-03-07** Signed by President
- **2020-03-12** Enrolled Bill Communicated to Governor on March 12, 2020
- **2020-03-12** Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 11, 2020
- **2020-04-10** Approved by Governor-Chapter 1095 (effective 7/1/20) `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/f8173f3b-a3ea-4a9e-a468-7b122f697934`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Virginia legislature records).