Pending Legislation for Epinephrine Auto-Injectors in TN Schools

The TN House Education Subcommittee will be meeting tomorrow at 3 pm.  On the agenda is HB0866 which would require authorize all public and private schools to stock epinephrine auto-injectors to treat students in the event that their own auto-injector is unavailable or they are having an anaphylactic reaction for the first time while at school.  The bill stipulates that every school shall stock auto-injectors in at least 2 secured but unlocked locations such as the school office and cafeteria.

The bill is written in such a way that a school nurse or other trained personnel may utilize the auto-injectors for anaphylaxis under a standing protocol from a physician.  The prescribing doctor would be exempted from liability "unless the physician issued the prescription or standing protocol with intentional disregard for safety."  The school nurse or school employee administering the epinephrine would also be exempted from liability with the same phrasing.    

Assuming that HB0866 is passed by the Subcommittee, it will be presented to the full House Education Committee at noon on Tuesday, March 26.


You may wonder why this bill is important.  The following are statistics pulled from FARE's website.

• Researchers estimate that up to 15 million Americans have food allergies, including 1 in 13 children.  That works out to roughly 2 children per classroom.
• Failure to administer epinephrine promptly after an allergic reaction begins is a significant risk factor for fatal anaphylaxis.
• Teens are among the group of patients with the highest rates of fatality due to food-induced anaphylaxis.
• Food allergies can begin at any time, even to foods that have previously been consumed with no ill effects.
• 20 - 25% of anaphylactic reactions in a school setting occur when there was no previously known food allergy

Now for the most pressing question.  What can we do to help our House Committee members understand the importance of this bill?

• Show your support for the bill by appearing in Legislative Plaza when the bill is presented Tuesday, March 19 at 3 pm and/or on Tuesday, March 26 at noon.  (You do not have to speak!)  Please email Andrea at afanta@kvbpr.com if you are able to attend in order to work out the logistics.
• Write a letter addressed to the House Education Committee - TN State Legislature stating why you support the bill.  Please include your name (first/last) and address (city/state, at minimum) so the committee members will know that they are hearing from TN residents.  Letters can be emailed to afanta@kvbpr.com no later than Thursday, March 21, 2013.
• Consider having your allergic children write their own letter to the Committee saying what the bill would mean to them.
• Spread the word!  Share this information with your friends, family, physicians and blog readers.

3/22/2013 Update

HB0866, Amendment 4828 was passed by the TN House Education Subcommittee on 03/19/2013.  The wording of the amendment has been changed from "requiring" schools to stock epinephrine auto-injectors that could be used on any student thought to be experiencing anaphylaxis to "authorizing" them to do so.


UPDATE: 
The bill that would allow TN schools to stock epinephrine autoinjectors for all students perceived to be in experiencing anaphylaxis was passed by the House and Senate of the TN General Assembly on 4/15/13.  Many thanks to all who lent their support to this process!!


LAST UPDATE:
There is a bill signing ceremony for this legislation on 6/4/13.  See this post for more info!