Hartford — Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman are applauding a unanimous vote by the Public Health Committee Wednesday morning to approve legislation, introduced by the governor, that expands on the state's efforts to combat the opioid crisis.

The legislation would require municipalities to update their existing emergency medical services plan "to ensure that the primary emergency response provider on the scene of an emergency call is equipped with and prepared to administer the overdose reversing drug naloxone and has been appropriately trained to do so," a news release from Malloy's office says. The proposed legislation would also prohibit commercial health carriers from requiring prior approval for coverage of naloxone.

The committee added additional language to the bill, requested by the governor, "that closes a gap in current liability language related to a licensed health professional who administers an opioid antagonist," the news release says. The bill passed 22-0.

Last week, the state Office of the Chief Medical Examiner released statistics indicating that the number of accidental intoxication deaths in Connecticut has more than doubled since 2012. Locally, police departments have joined forces to respond to the overdoses through the creation of the Regional Community Enhancement Task Force.