Penn State has established a Responsible Action Protocol in response to the University Park Undergraduate Association's campaign for a medical amnesty policy. Effective January 2018, the Responsible Action Protocol was updated and now reflects the following:
A student who acts responsibly by notifying the appropriate authorities (e.g., calling 911, alerting a resident assistant, contacting police) AND meets one or more of the following criteria typically will not face University conduct action for his or her own use or possession of alcohol or drugs. However, the student will be required to attend an approved alcohol or drug education program, such as BASICS or the Marijuana Intervention Program (MIP); the fee will be waived. When the student's behavior involves other Code of Conduct violations (e.g., vandalism, assault, furnishing to minors), the additional behavior may be subject to disciplinary action. If a student exhibits a pattern of problematic behavior with alcohol or drugs, that student may be subject to formal disciplinary action.
- The criteria which invoke the Protocol are:
- A student seeks medical assistance for themselves when experiencing an alcohol or drug overdose or related problems
- A student seeks medical assistance for a peer suffering from an alcohol or drug overdose or related problems and remains with the peer until appropriate authorities arrive
- A student suffering from an alcohol or drug overdose or related problems, for whom another student seeks assistance and remains with the peer until appropriate authorities arrive, will also not be subject to disciplinary action for alcohol violations.