California’s stock epinephrine bill, SB 1266 introduced February 21, 2014 by Senator Bob Huff, would make the stocking of epinephrine mandatory for school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools as well as the training of personnel to administer the drug in cases of suspected anaphylaxis.
As reported in this piece by KPIX TV in San Francisco, the bill now faces opposition by the state teacher’s union:
With the explosion in the population of children with food allergies (now 1 in 13, or an average of two per classroom) it is imperative that all schools stock epinephrine and have a sufficient number of staff trained in its administration.
We at SnackSafely.com see training to administer epinephrine as a civil imperative, as important as CPR training or learning to use a defibrillator, especially in the school setting where many children are at risk.
We urge the California Teacher’s Association to reconsider its position and support the passage of SB 1226. While we agree with the assertion that more school nurses should be hired, we also believe that basic epinephrine administration skills in the school setting will need to be pervasive to protect the growing population of school-aged children with food allergies. This bill also indemnifies trained personnel who administer epinephrine in an emergency, so there is no risk to teachers who volunteer for training.
Help spread the word that passage of SB 1266 and similar legislation pending in states throughout the country is imperative to safeguard our children. Visit California Advocates for Food Allergy to find out how you can help.
- SB-1266 Pupil health: epinephrine auto-injectors – legislature.ca.gov
- Bill To Require EpiPens In Public Schools Faces Opposition From Teachers Union – KPIX TV
- Facts and Statistics – FARE
Hi Dave,
Thank you and thanks to Snack Safely for supporting our effort to get food allergy training and stock epi into every public K-12 school in CA! We need everyone to step forward and contact their Senator and ask them to co-author or support SB1266.
There is stiff opposition from the California Teachers Association, despite the bill being supported by so many other organizations, including the California School Nurses Association and the California PTA.
Please take the time to reach out, so we can get this legislation past! Please ask your friends and relatives in CA to do the same. Together, we can really bring the message to the CA Senate that kids with food allergies need to be safer in our schools!
Thank you,
Connie