2020 -- S 2037 | |
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LC003416 | |
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND | |
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY | |
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2020 | |
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A N A C T | |
RELATING TO EDUCATION -- SEIZURE SAFE SCHOOLS ACT | |
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Introduced By: Senators DiPalma, Seveney, Euer, Miller, and Cano | |
Date Introduced: January 21, 2020 | |
Referred To: Senate Education | |
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: | |
1 | SECTION 1. Chapter 16-21 of the General Laws entitled "Health and Safety of Pupils" is |
2 | hereby amended by adding thereto the following section: |
3 | 16-21-37. Seizure safe schools act. |
4 | (a) "Seizure Action Plan" means a written, individualized health plan designed to |
5 | acknowledge and prepare for the health care needs of a student diagnosed with a seizure disorder. |
6 | (b)(1) Beginning July 1, 2021, the school board of each local public school district and |
7 | the governing body of each private and parochial school or school district shall have at least one |
8 | school employee at each school who has met the training requirements necessary to administer or |
9 | assist with the self-administration of: |
10 | (i) A seizure rescue medication or medication prescribed to treat seizure disorder |
11 | symptoms as approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration or any successor |
12 | agency; |
13 | (ii) A manual dose of prescribed electrical stimulation using a vagus nerve stimulator |
14 | (VNS) magnet as approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration or any successor |
15 | agency. |
16 | (2) For those assigned the duties by this section, the training provided shall include |
17 | instructions in administering seizure medications, and manual vagus nerve stimulation, as well as |
18 | the recognition of the signs and symptoms of seizures and the appropriate steps to be taken to |
19 | respond to these symptoms |
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1 | (3) The presence of a registered nurse employed full-time by a school who assumes |
2 | responsibility for the administration of seizure medications, and the administration oversight of |
3 | vagus nerve stimulation, shall fulfill the requirements of this section. |
4 | (4) Every public school shall provide training to principals, guidance counselors, |
5 | teachers, and other relevant school personnel with direct contact and supervision of children, |
6 | including bus drivers and classroom aides, on the recognition of the signs and symptoms of |
7 | seizures and the appropriate steps for seizure first aid. |
8 | (5) Any training program or guideline adopted by any state agency for the training of |
9 | school personnel in the health care needs of students diagnosed with a seizure disorder shall be |
10 | fully consistent with training programs and guidelines developed by the Epilepsy Foundation of |
11 | America or any successor organization. Notwithstanding any state agency requirement or other |
12 | law to the contrary, for the purposes of this training a local school district shall be permitted to |
13 | use any adequate and appropriate training program or guidelines for training of school personnel |
14 | in the seizure disorder care tasks covered under this section. |
15 | (c)(1) Prior to administering a seizure rescue medication or medication prescribed to treat |
16 | seizure disorder symptoms, the student's parent or guardian shall: |
17 | (i) Provide the school with a written authorization to administer the medication at school; |
18 | (ii) Provide a written statement from the student's health care practitioner, which shall |
19 | contain the following information: |
20 | (A) Student's name; |
21 | (B) The name and purpose of the medication; |
22 | (C) The prescribed dosage; |
23 | (D) The route of administration; |
24 | (E) The frequency that the medication may be administered; and |
25 | (F) The circumstances under which the medication may be administered; and |
26 | (iii) Provide the prescribed medication to the school in its unopened, sealed package with |
27 | the label affixed by the dispensing pharmacy intact. |
28 | (2) In addition to the statements required in subsection (c)(1)(ii) of this section, the parent |
29 | or guardian of each student diagnosed with a seizure disorder shall collaborate with school |
30 | personnel to create a seizure action plan. The department of elementary and secondary education |
31 | shall promulgate administrative regulations establishing procedures for the development and |
32 | content of seizure action plans. |
33 | (d)(1) The statements and seizure action plan required by this section shall be kept on file |
34 | in the office of the school nurse or school administrator. |
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1 | (2) The seizure action plan required by this section shall be distributed to any school |
2 | personnel or volunteers responsible for the supervision or care of the student with a seizure |
3 | disorder. |
4 | (e) The permission for the administration of any of the medications listed under this |
5 | section shall be effective for the school year in which it is granted and shall be renewed each |
6 | following school year upon fulfilling the requirements of this section. |
7 | (f) The requirements of this section shall apply only to schools that have a student |
8 | enrolled who has a seizure disorder or has a seizure rescue medication or medication prescribed |
9 | to treat seizure disorder symptoms approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration |
10 | or any successor agency prescribed by the student's health care provider. |
11 | (g) Every public school shall provide an age-appropriate seizure education program to all |
12 | students on seizures and seizure disorders. The seizure education program shall be consistent with |
13 | guidelines published by the Epilepsy Foundation of America or any successor organization. The |
14 | department of elementary and secondary education shall promulgate administrative regulations |
15 | for the development and implementation of the seizure education program. |
16 | (h) A school district, school district employee, or agent acting in good faith and in |
17 | substantial compliance with the student's individual health plan and the instructions of the |
18 | student's licensed health care professional, that provides assistance or services under this section |
19 | shall not be liable for civil damages in his or her individual, marital, governmental, corporate, or |
20 | other capacities as a result of the services provided under this section to students with epilepsy or |
21 | seizure disorders. |
22 | SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. |
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EXPLANATION | |
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL | |
OF | |
A N A C T | |
RELATING TO EDUCATION -- SEIZURE SAFE SCHOOLS ACT | |
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1 | This act would require all elementary and secondary schools to have at least one school |
2 | employee trained to administer or assist with the self-administering of seizure rescue medication |
3 | prescribed to treat seizure disorder systems and the use of prescribed electrical stimulation and |
4 | would also establish guidelines to authorize the administering of seizure medication in school. |
5 | This act would take effect upon passage. |
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