Revised Bill A 961

Hi Saknjmom,

Can you tell me the ways in which this differs from what is currently on the books? I'm just being lazy instead of reading both the existing law and proposed bill.

Thanks,
Naturemom

Yes, it is a nj state law that medications should be locked in the nurse's office. This bill will allow meds to be unlocked and in a child's classroom.
Also, there is a situation with designees. Right now, the law says that if you want a designee in case the nurse is absent, you can have one only if your doctor's instructions do not say give benadryl for hives, proceed with epi pen if symptoms persist.
The reasoning was that a lay person (designee) could not differentiate between when to give benadryl and when to give epi pen. Also, the original bill only covered emergency epi, not other meds like benadryl.
The implications were that many schools didn't have a back up designee or people were having the orders re written to say give epi pen for signs of a reaction.
For me, my DS has been known for mystery hives (less frequently now), eczema and i certainly didn't want him getting an epi pen if he needed a little benadryl.
So, my son doesn't go to school if the nurse is absent.
Those were the main amendments. Do you live in NJ?
Apparently Assemblywoman Vandervalk in Westwood has an anaphylactic granddaughter and this whole issue is near and dear to her heart. There is also a guy named Bagger who co sponsors almost all of these bills.
I think it will pass.
Many schools in NJ apparently do not follow the state guidelines though. I've spoken to many who have back up people with benadryl orders. I had so much trouble when DS entered school mostly due to this subject.

Naturemom,
if you email me, I will email back the amendment that shows the changes with underlining. It is a pdf.

ASSEMBLY BILL A961 HAS BEEN POSTED FOR A VOTE BEFORE THE NEW JERSEY
ASSEMBLY THIS COMING MONDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2006!

PLEASE CALL OR EMAIL YOUR TWO ASSEMBLY MEMBERS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AND
ASK THAT THEY VOTE IN FAVOR OF A961 ON MONDAY, DECEMBER 11!

You can read the full text of the bill at the website for the New
Jersey Legislature ([url]http://www.njleg.state.nj.us[/url]). You can find the
names of your municipality/district Assembly members and their contact
information, too. Just click on Find Your Legislator. Please call or
email, even if you have done so previously.

My daughter goes to Toms River Regional Schools (18,000 students). I read the revisions to this bill, and mostly it changes "single-dose" epinephrine to "epinephrine device" and other similar wording.

I emailed my legislators. This is a great bill. I'd like to see our district come up with more uniform policies instead of a school-by-school thing, depending on each principal and nurse's feelings about the matter. It's definitely improved since my dd was first in Kindergarten (now she's in 6th grade).

Kathy--hi, the bill revises a lot more than single dose epi etc.

It allows meds to be stored in classroom, fixes the problem with benadryl being prescribed with epi pen/delegate.

And it recommends that schools have policies and kids with allergies are given individual plans -- it is a little grey, but check out the last page of the bill for this.

TODAY IS THE DAY!!!

It's being voted on, expected to pass, and will be signed into law within something like 40 days, for immediate compliance. I talked to someone at the ASsembly today via phone.

If anyone hears when it passes, please post!

THanks!

Actually I did read the whole bill, and there were things omitted and added from the original text. I just went to the legislature website, and it has the Assembly starting at 1:00 today, Senate starting at 2:00.

HOWEVER, according to the Star-Ledger, they are voting on about 17 budget bills today so we can only hope they get to this bill A961.

Update:
12/11/2006 Substituted for A961 (1R)
12/11/2006 Passed Assembly (Passed Both Houses) (80-0-0)

Yeah!!!!

[This message has been edited by Kathy L. (edited December 11, 2006).]

very happy to see it passed.

ACTION ALERT RE: S79/A961 - PLEASE CONTACT GOVERNOR CORZINE NOW!

Please call the Governor's office and urge Governor Corzine to sign
S79/A961 into law as quickly as possible. Express your support for
this legislation, stating that it is important to you, your family, and
the growing number of students who have life-threatening food
allergies. Point out that it is a bipartisan bill which passed both
Houses of the Legislature, unanimously.

The Governor's action on the bill is required before the end of
January, so please call, now. The phone number is 609-292-6000.

Thank you for your advocacy and support for the health and safety of
food-allergic students in New Jersey.

Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Coalition of New Jersey
Steering Committee

The Governor has issued a Conditional Veto of S79/A961, returning it to the
legislature for modification of Section 7, the liability clause, before
passage. The concurrence of both Houses will be necessary, and we have been
told that they could occur by the end of February. The change should be in
our best interests, and apart from a short delay, we expect no detriment to
the bill.

The statement can be fount at the bottom of this press release:
[url="http://www.state.nj.us/governor/news/news/approved/20070126a.html"]http://www.state.nj.us/governor/news/news/approved/20070126a.html[/url]

Please discontinue your calls to his office. We do not know anything further at this time.
We will keep you posted.

Susan B. DiAnthony, Group Leader
The FOOD ALLERGY & ASTHMA
Support Group of North Jersey
[email]PalKidz@aol.com[/email]
973.514,.1654
FAX: 973.443.0053

We are pleased to report that the Senate concurred, unanimously, with
the Governor's recommendations concerning S79. For the text of S79
and the conditional veto, please go to the Legislature's website -
[url="http://www.njleg.state.nj.us"]http://www.njleg.state.nj.us[/url] - and enter S79 in Bill Search.

The Assembly is likely to consider the conditional veto at its next
session on February 26, 2007. We will keep you apprised of further
developments.

The bill just passed the Assembly unanimously. We now anticipate it going to the Governor