The Pennsylvania House of Representatives unanimously passed a bill Wednesday that would protect school bus drivers who administer epinephrine auto-injectors, or Epi-Pens, to students.
EpiPens are most commonly used to treat anaphylaxis, a serious allergic reaction.
The bill now heads to the state senate to await approval there.
House Bill 423, sponsored by Rep. Justin Simmons, would grant civil immunity to school bus drivers who use an EpiPen on a student who has an allergic reaction on the school bus. The bill would require that bus drivers participate in a training program developed by the state Department of Health and follow district policy in order to use the EpiPen. The bill would also not exactly enact a usage policy, but would simply provide civil immunity to those drivers who use it under particular guidelines.
While some districts and bus companies in Pennsylvania allow their drivers to administer the drug to students in case of an emergency, some may be reluctant to use it due to potential liability issues.
“Our goal is to allow more children with allergies to receive this often life-saving emergency treatment,” said Simmons. “A group of mothers in my district brought the issue to my attention over the concern that their children would have an allergic reaction while on the school bus, threatening their lives. They believe it only makes sense for the bus driver to be able to treat the child immediately in order to prevent a serious medical problem, and I agree.”
Simmons sponsored a similar bill last year that also passed the House but stalled in the Senate.
