HLS 15RS-907 ORIGINAL
2015 Regular Session
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 188
BY REPRESENTATIVE THIBAUT
SCHOOLS/NONPUBLIC: Requests state-approved nonpublic schools to consider keeping
epinephrine on the school premises for emergency situations
1 A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
2To urge and request each nonpublic school approved by the State Board of Elementary and
3 Secondary Education to consider storing auto-injectable epinephrine in the school
4 office for use in cases of emergency and to adopt policies and procedures for such
5 use.
6 WHEREAS, current law, R.S. 17:436.1(K), requires the governing authority of each
7public elementary and secondary school to adopt a policy authorizing a school nurse or
8trained school employee to administer auto-injectable epinephrine to a student who the
9school nurse or trained school employee, in good faith, professionally believes is having an
10anaphylactic reaction, whether or not such student has a prescription for epinephrine; and
11 WHEREAS, the law defines auto-injectable epinephrine as a medical device for the
12immediate self-administration of epinephrine by a person at risk for anaphylaxis; and
13 WHEREAS, the law further requires that at least one employee at each public school
14receive training from a registered nurse or a licensed medical physician in the administration
15of auto-injectable epinephrine and authorizes the school nurse or trained employee to
16administer the auto-injectable epinephrine to respond to a student's anaphylactic reaction
17under a standing protocol from a physician licensed to practice medicine in the state; and
18 WHEREAS, the law permits each public elementary and secondary school to
19maintain a supply of auto-injectable epinephrine at the school in a locked, secure, and easily
20accessible location and further provides that a licensed physician may prescribe epinephrine
Page 1 of 2 HLS 15RS-907 ORIGINAL
HCR NO. 188
1auto-injectors in the name of the school system or the individual school to be maintained for
2use when deemed necessary; and
3 WHEREAS, according to the results of a national survey of over five thousand
4schools, close to one thousand anaphylactic episodes occurred in those schools in 2014; and
5 WHEREAS, in twenty-two percent of those cases, anaphylaxis occurred in students
6and teachers with no known allergies; and
7 WHEREAS, access to epinephrine is important because it is the only first-line
8treatment for anaphylaxis; and
9 WHEREAS, according to the food allergy guidelines developed by the National
10Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, if experiencing anaphylaxis, a person should
11use an epinephrine auto-injector and seek immediate emergency medical care; and
12 WHEREAS, because state law provides for the use of auto-injectable epinephrine in
13public schools in cases of emergency, it seems reasonable that the same should apply in
14nonpublic schools.
15 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
16urge and request each nonpublic school that is approved by the State Board of Elementary
17and Secondary Education to consider storing auto-injectable epinephrine in the school office
18for use in cases of emergency and to adopt a policy to provide for the storage, use, and
19administration of such device.
20 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution shall be provided to
21the state superintendent of education who shall be responsible for disseminating copies of
22this Resolution to each state-approved nonpublic school.
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HCR 188 Original 2015 Regular Session Thibaut
Requests each nonpublic school that is approved by the State Board of Elementary and
Secondary Education to consider having auto-injectable epinephrine available in the school
office for use in cases of emergency.
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