Dillon’s Law Introduced to Congress

Dillon Mueller passed away on October 4, 2014 at the age of 18, a week after he had been stung by a bee and suffered anaphylactic shock. He had never been diagnosed with an allergy and so was never prescribed an epinephrine auto-injector which could have potentially saved his life.

“He did not know what was happening and within 10 minutes he was unconscious,” said Angel Mueller, Dillon’s mother. “He would still be alive today had there been an EpiPen available.”

Dillon’s mother and father, George Mueller, have been busy working to have legislation known as “Dillon’s Law” enacted in numerous states including Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Indiana. The legislation seeks to improve access to life-saving epinephrine by allowing trained individuals to carry the medication and administer it to anyone in need before help can arrive.

Now, a version of Dillon’s law has been introduced to the US House of Representatives by Glenn Grothman, Sixth District Congressman from Wisconsin.

The legislation extends the use of existing federal grant money to incentivize states to train individuals to carry and administer epinephrine. Those individuals would then be shielded from liability after administering epinephrine in an emergency, a so-called “good samaritan” provision.

Said Congressman Grothman:

Dillon Mueller’s passing was a tragedy.  No parent should have to endure the loss of a child, and that is what Dillon’s parents, Angel and George, are working to prevent.

This bill isn’t limited to children, however. The legislation incentivizes states to properly train individuals to administer the substance from the adrenal gland to someone experiencing a severe allergic reaction.

We at SnackSafely.com applaud the efforts of the Muellers, whose tireless advocacy has already been credited with saving at least one life as reported by NBC26 News, Green Bay in August 2018:

There is no doubt that having many more individuals trained to carry and authorized to administer epinephrine will save many lives in the future.

You can learn more about their efforts by visiting their website.