MADISON, WI — August 4, 2023
“Dillon’s Law 3.0,” which further expands the availability of epinephrine auto-injectors for individuals having a life-threatening allergic reaction, was signed into law today.
Sen. Jacque, lead Senate co-author, and Assembly co-author Rep. Shae Sortwell (R-Gibson), said this common sense legislation is another update of the original 2017 Dillon’s Law that will make saving lives even easier.
“Dillon’s Law is especially important, because it is demonstrated life-saving legislation born from tragedy, and a continuing legacy,” said Sen. Jacque.
Eighteen-year-old Dillon Mueller died Oct. 4, 2014, after he suffered a severe allergic reaction from a bee sting when no epinephrine was available in the first aid kits of either the Eagle Scout with him, or the arriving volunteer first responders.
“Dillon himself was an Eagle Scout preparing to take over the family heritage farm,” Rep. Sortwell said. “Had there been an epinephrine auto-injector available to counteract a simple bee sting, a fine young man with his whole life ahead of him would very likely be alive today.”
This new proposal, supported by numerous healthcare groups, further broadens the epinephrine statutes for pens and syringes to encompass every FDA-approved “epinephrine delivery system” to create better access to these new technologies and save more lives. The bill also clarifies that the epinephrine in these devices is pre-measured, and allows statewide orders for epinephrine to be issued in the name of any “authorized entity,” including recreational and educational camps, colleges and universities, day care facilities, youth sports leagues, and amusement parks, among others. This provision enables pharmacists across Wisconsin to dispense epinephrine without a patient-specific prescription order.
“Dillon’s parents, Angel and George, have made it their mission to educate people about the importance of epinephrine,” Sen. Jacque said. “Even though it only became law in 2017, Dillon’s Law has already saved 11 lives, trained 3,000 individuals to use epinephrine auto-injectors,and has also been successfully enacted in Minnesota, Indiana, and Michigan.”
“Angel and George Mueller have worked tirelessly with other states to save lives so that Dillon’s memory lives on,” Rep. Sortwell said. “Thanks to them, Wisconsin is again leading the way forward in promoting epinephrine legislation nationwide.”
The Jacque-Sortwell measure (Senate Bill 7) was signed into law as 2023 Act 27.
