Legislation that would encourage local school boards to maintain a supply of EpiPens to administer to students suffering from severe allergic reactions appears on track to pass the General Assembly this year.
Senate Bill 656, sponsored by Sen. A. Donald McEachin, D-Henrico, unanimously passed the Senate Education and Health Committee and now heads to the Senate floor. Companion legislation in the House of Delegates, House Bill 1107, cleared the House Education Committee Wednesday on a 20-1 vote.
The legislation was filed in response to the recent death of a Chesterfield first-grader, who died at school after what was believed to be a severe allergic reaction to a peanut.
Amarria Johnson, 7, died at Hopkins Elementary School Jan. 2. The child's mother, Laura Pendleton, said her daughter had an allergy plan at school that authorized it to administer Benadryl. She said she was told to keep an EpiPen at home. EpiPens inject epinephrine, or adrenaline and are available by prescription.
The bill would authorize a school nurse or a trained and authorized school employee to administer the injection of epinephrine to a student who has a prescription on file or who is believed to be suffering from an anaphylactic reaction.
The legislation also immunizes the employees from civil liability when they act in good faith.
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement