February 09, 2012 - 11:20 pm
BY JIM NOLAN
Legislation that would encourage local school boards to maintain a supply of EpiPens to administer to students suffering from severe allergic reactions appears on track to pass the General Assembly this year.
Senate Bill 656, sponsored by Sen. A. Donald McEachin, D-Henrico, unanimously passed the Senate Education and Health committee and now heads to the Senate floor. Companion legislation in the House of Delegates, (HB 1107), cleared the House Education committee Wednesday on a 20-1 vote.
The legislation was filed in response to the recent death of a Chesterfield first-grader, who died at school following what was believed to be a severe allergic reaction to a peanut.
Ammaria Johnson, 7, died at Hopkins Elementary School Jan. 2. The child’s mother, Laura Pendleton said her daugher had an allergy plan at school which authorized it to adminster Benadryl. She said she was told to keep an EpiPen at home. EpiPens inject epinephrine, or adrenaline and are available by prescription.
The Virginia Senate Thursday took action on several key pieces of legislation that impact voting, the reporting of child sex abuse and child adoption and foster care placement.
