[b]Action Alert from West Coast Allergy and Asthma Network: [/b]
State Bill AB 1137, California School Allergy and Asthma Emergencies Act of 2006, introduced by Assembly Member Mervyn Dymally
The Problem
Current policy in California does not adequately address the needs of children with severe allergies or asthma who suffer life-threatening emergencies at public schools or licensed child care centers.
Severe food allergies currently affect three to eight percent of children (representing an estimated 203,000 to 541,000 children in California), and the prevalence of the disease is increasing. Peanut allergy alone doubled in children from 1997 to 2002[1]
It is estimated that one in five children with food allergy will experience a reaction in school.[2] What is more, research suggests that as many as 25% of all allergic reactions in school are first-time reactions i.e., involving children with no known allergic condition[3]
Of people who have asthma during their lifetime, 80% have the onset by 5 years of age.[4] In California, 784,000 children under age 17 have had asthma symptoms in the past year, an increase of 210% since 1980.[5] According to the California Health Kids Survey (2001-2003), California
Text of bill: AB 1137 (Dymally)
[url="http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/bill/asm/ab_1101-1150/ab_1137_bill_20060425_amended_sen.pdf"]http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/bill/asm/ab_1101-1150/ab_1137_bill_20060425_amended_sen.pdf[/url]
Momcat, thanks for posting this. I just emailed a response to Assembly Member Dymally at this link:
[url="http://democrats.assembly.ca.gov/members/a52/email.htm"]http://democrats.assembly.ca.gov/members/a52/email.htm[/url]
and here's a link with many of the email addresses for the Senate Education Committee members:
[url="http://www.sesd.org/schools/Cumberland/StateSenateEducationCommittee.htm"]http://www.sesd.org/schools/Cumberland/StateSenateEducationCommittee.htm[/url]
plus, for what it's worth, this is what i sent, without having as much time to think it through as i might like:
Dear Assembly Member Dymally,
I only today learned of State Bill AB 1137, California School Allergy and Asthma Emergencies Act of 2006, and wanted to email you my support for this bill.
As an adult who developed a life-threatening peanut allergy later in life, I was fortunate to not have to live with this allergy as a young student or child. However, I can't emphasize enough the very real dangers that even trace amounts of peanut protein can represent to a peanut-allergic individual. This can only be especially true in small children, who may not yet be able to take certain steps to try to avoid their particular allergen, nor yet able to start immediate treatment for themselves if a reaction were to occur.
Having near and immediate access to epinephrine and to trained adult staff who will be able to properly treat an anaphylactic reaction may mean the difference between life or death for that child. As an adult I am able and ready to take this responsibility on myself. But for the thousands of young students in California who are not yet able or ready to do so, I ask that you endorse this bill before the Senate Education Committee on June 14th.
Thank you
[This message has been edited by andromeda (edited June 12, 2006).]
andromeda,
Thank you for taking the time to send email. The more letters we can send, the more likely this bill will make it out of the Senate Education committee.
They are scheduled to consider the bill on June 14th (Wednesday!) so we don't have much time.
Cathy
------------------
Mom to 7 yr old PA/TNA daughter and 3 1/2 yr old son who is allergic to eggs.
I will email jack scott's office today, thanks for the heads up!
------------------
mom to Ari(6) - severe nut allergies, asthma, you name it - and Maya (8), mild excema
Update: AB1137 has been amended. The current version is [url="http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/bill/asm/ab_1101-1150/ab_1137_bill_20060612_amended_sen.pdf"]http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/bill/asm/ab_1101-1150/ab_1137_bill_20060612_amended_sen.pdf[/url]
Its next hearing in the Senate Education Committee is set for June 21, so there is still time to email your senator!
Cathy
Text of bill: AB 1137 (Dymally)
[url="http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/bill/asm/ab_1101-1150/ab_1137_bill_20060425_amended_sen.pdf"]http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/bill/asm/ab_1101-1150/ab_1137_bill_20060425_amended_sen.pdf[/url]
Momcat, thanks for posting this. I just emailed a response to Assembly Member Dymally at this link:
[url="http://democrats.assembly.ca.gov/members/a52/email.htm"]http://democrats.assembly.ca.gov/members/a52/email.htm[/url]
and here's a link with many of the email addresses for the Senate Education Committee members:
[url="http://www.sesd.org/schools/Cumberland/StateSenateEducationCommittee.htm"]http://www.sesd.org/schools/Cumberland/StateSenateEducationCommittee.htm[/url]
plus, for what it's worth, this is what i sent, without having as much time to think it through as i might like:
Dear Assembly Member Dymally,
I only today learned of State Bill AB 1137, California School Allergy and Asthma Emergencies Act of 2006, and wanted to email you my support for this bill.
As an adult who developed a life-threatening peanut allergy later in life, I was fortunate to not have to live with this allergy as a young student or child. However, I can't emphasize enough the very real dangers that even trace amounts of peanut protein can represent to a peanut-allergic individual. This can only be especially true in small children, who may not yet be able to take certain steps to try to avoid their particular allergen, nor yet able to start immediate treatment for themselves if a reaction were to occur.
Having near and immediate access to epinephrine and to trained adult staff who will be able to properly treat an anaphylactic reaction may mean the difference between life or death for that child. As an adult I am able and ready to take this responsibility on myself. But for the thousands of young students in California who are not yet able or ready to do so, I ask that you endorse this bill before the Senate Education Committee on June 14th.
Thank you
[This message has been edited by andromeda (edited June 12, 2006).]
andromeda,
Thank you for taking the time to send email. The more letters we can send, the more likely this bill will make it out of the Senate Education committee.
They are scheduled to consider the bill on June 14th (Wednesday!) so we don't have much time.
Cathy
------------------
Mom to 7 yr old PA/TNA daughter and 3 1/2 yr old son who is allergic to eggs.
I will email jack scott's office today, thanks for the heads up!
------------------
mom to Ari(6) - severe nut allergies, asthma, you name it - and Maya (8), mild excema
Update: AB1137 has been amended. The current version is [url="http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/bill/asm/ab_1101-1150/ab_1137_bill_20060612_amended_sen.pdf"]http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/bill/asm/ab_1101-1150/ab_1137_bill_20060612_amended_sen.pdf[/url]
Its next hearing in the Senate Education Committee is set for June 21, so there is still time to email your senator!
Cathy