OLYMPIA—The governor has signed legislation that expands in-school access to life-saving anaphylaxis medication. Sponsored by Rep. Dan Bronoske, D-Lakewood, House Bill 1608 passed both chambers unanimously.
“Students already face health and safety challenges at school. We should do all we can to protect the kids in our schools,” said Bronoske. “Our schools do a great job eliminating allergens, so students are safe. However, we must be prepared to save lives if kids are exposed to potentially deadly allergens. This is a matter of life or death for students and having adequate medication to respond is incredibly important to reducing dangers in our schools.”
Forty-one percent of people who report a food allergy in Washington are school-aged, according to Foodallergy.org. School-age children represent a large percentage of people who may require emergency epinephrine treatment. The National Institute of Health reports that as much as 20 percent of pediatric anaphylactic incidents occur at school.
House Bill 1608 expands access to anaphylaxis medication in schools by permitting schools to maintain a supply of epinephrine in addition to the autoinjector supply they already maintain. The legislation also allows the use of epinephrine and epinephrine autoinjectors. Finally, it requires the Secretary of Health to issue a standing order for epinephrine and epinephrine autoinjectors in schools.