OLYMPIA – The Washington State Senate passed House Bill 1085 unanimously on Saturday with a vote of 46-0. Sponsored by Rep. Shelley Kloba (D-Kirkland), the bill requires school districts to create Individual Health Plans for students with seizure disorders and train key adults in the school on how to respond to a seizure. Currently, there is no set process for ensuring that teachers who have students with seizure disorders know how to respond to a medical event.
“Students with seizure disorder deserve to feel safe at school. Constantly having to worry about a medical condition distracts students from their education,” said Kloba. “This bill will give children with seizure disorders and their families the peace of mind they need to focus on learning.”
Individual Health Plans (IHP) are already required in schools for students with diabetes and life-threatening allergies. IHPs have proven to be a powerful tool to protect students with health issues and we should make them available for students with seizure disorders. This bill simply extends that protection to students with seizure disorders.
“Thank you to the Epilepsy Foundation of Washington for educating me and other members of the Legislature about the need for this life saving policy,” said Kloba. “It was their advocacy that got this across the finish line.”
The legislation now heads to the Governor for his signature.