food allergy bill for Connecticut?

Things are moving around in Connecticut!
Please attend the Judiciary Committee\'s Public Hearing in Hartford, CT At the Legislative Office Building Monday, February 28, 2005 at 12:00 noon in Room 2E.
Give testimony or attend to show your support for Important Legislation regarding Good Samaritan Coverage of EpiPen Administration by camps, before/after school programs and daycare facilities.
Sign-up to speak is between 9:00-11:30 AM.
If you cannot attend but would like to have an impact, please type a one-page testimonial and e-mail it to me at [email]risakent@sbcglobal.net[/email], and I will submit it to the Judiciary Committee on Monday.
If you have any questions, please e-mail me. Thank You!
Risa Kent
More information...
WHAT ARE THE ISSUES AT HAND REGARDING CONNECTICUT HB 6286, AN ACT CONCERNING THE EMERGENCY USE OF CARTRIDGE INJECTORS?
Our goal is to change the Connecticut Good Samaritan Act to specifically include EpiPen administration under its umbrella of protection. In addition, this bill would require private camps, municipally run camps, before/after school programs and day care centers to train employees in EpiPen administration at the request of a parent and physician. Many children are being denied equal access to camps, etc. because they need an adult present
who will administer their EpiPen in the event of an emergency. Your
support would be very helpful since this bill may die in committee if the judiciary committee does not see public support for its passage.
The text of the bill is included at the end of this e-mail message.
Click for the HB 6286 status page:
[url="http://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/cgabillstatus/cgabillstatus.asp?selBillType=Bill&b"]http://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/cgabillstatus/cgabillstatus.asp?selBillType=Bill&b[/url]
ill_num=6286&which_year=2005&SUBMIT.x=8&SUBMIT.y=10&SUBMIT=Search
WHERE IS THE HEARING?
The Judiciary Committee will hold a public hearing on Monday, February 28,
2005 at 12:00 noon in Room 2E of the Legislative Office Building.
In order to sign up for testimony, please be there by no later than 11:15.
Order of appearance will be determined by lottery.
Speakers will be limited to three minutes of testimony.
Click for Driving Directions to the Legislative Office Building:
[url="http://www.cga.ct.gov/jud/Directions.htm#LOB"]http://www.cga.ct.gov/jud/Directions.htm#LOB[/url]
The Legislative Office Building is located next to the CT State Capitol and is a gray-stone building.
You can park in the parking garage behind the Legislative Office Building (LOB), on floor 2 1/2. Walk down the stairs and follow the signs to the front entrance of the Legislative Office Building and proceed to the second floor. You may also use the corridor that connects the parking garage to the LOB. Be sure to arrive about a half hour prior to sign up so that you may have enough time to find parking.
WHY IS SHARING YOUR PERSONAL STORIES SO IMPORTANT?
It is very important for you to share your personal feelings and stories about your child, friend, relative, etc. who has a significant allergy that might require EpiPen administration in a camp, before/after school program or day care setting. Legislators respond well to personal anecdotal information. They are interested in hearing about the way this disability affects your child\'s ability to have the same opportunities to participate in the same activities as his or her non-disabled peers. They are also interested in knowing how these issues affect your life as well.
HOW DO I GIVE TESTIMONY? IN PERSON OR SEND AN E-MAIL You may provide testimony at the hearing in person. You may read something that you have prepared (written) ahead of time, or you may speak unrehearsed. If you would like to provide testimony, but you are unable to attend this hearing in person, please send a one-page e-mail testimony to [email]risakent@sbcglobal.net[/email] by the end of Saturday, February 26, 2005, so that I may have time to make copies for Monday\'s Public Hearing. Your written testimony will be distributed to the members of the Judiciary Committee who will be voting on this bill.
Address your testimony to: Members of the Judiciary Committee.
You may make your testimony as long as you like. Legislators will be more likely to read full testimonies that are about one typed page in length. Be sure to include your first and last name and your full address at the end of the letter.
Click for more information about giving testimony at a public hearing:
[url="http://www.cga.ct.gov/olm/yourvoice.asp"]http://www.cga.ct.gov/olm/yourvoice.asp[/url]
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TEXT OF HOUSE BILL 6286, AN ACT CONCERNING THE USE OF CARTRIDGE INJECTORS:
General Assembly Committee Bill No. 6286 January Session, 2005 LCO No. 3499
*03499HB06286JUD*
Referred to Committee on Judiciary
Introduced by:
(JUD)
AN ACT CONCERNING THE EMERGENCY USE OF CARTRIDGE INJECTORS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly
convened:
Section 1. Section 52-557b of the general statutes is amended by adding subsection (h) as follows (Effective October 1, 2005):
(NEW) (h) Any person who has completed a course in first aid offered by the American Red Cross, the American Heart Association, the National Ski Patrol, the Department of Public Health or any director of health, as certified by the agency or director of health offering the course, and has been trained in the use of a cartridge injector by a licensed physician, physician\'s assistant, advanced practice registered nurse or registered nurse, and who, voluntarily and gratuitously, renders emergency assistance by using a cartridge injector on another person in need thereof, shall not be liable to such person assisted for civil damages for any personal injuries which result from acts or omissions by such person in using a cartridge injector, which may constitute ordinary negligence. The immunity provided in this subsection does not apply to acts or omissions constituting gross, wilful or wanton negligence. For the purposes of this subsection, \"cartridge injector\"
has the same meaning as provided in subdivision (1) of subsection (e) of this section.
Sec. 2. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2005) (a) For the purposes of this
section:
(1) \"Before or after school program\" means any educational or recreational program for children offered in any building or on the grounds of any school by a local or regional board of education or other municipal agency, or by a private provider, before or after regular school hours, or both;
(2) \"Cartridge injector\" means an automatic prefilled cartridge injector or similar automatic injectable equipment used to deliver epinephrine in a standard dose for emergency first aid response to allergic reactions;
(3) \"Day camp\" means any day camp, as defined in section 19a-420 of the general statutes, that is licensed under the provisions of chapter 368r of the general statutes, and any similar recreational camp program operated by a municipal agency; and
(4) \"Day care facility\" means any child day care center or group day care home that is licensed under the provisions of sections 19a-77 to 19a-80, inclusive, and 19a-82 to 19a-87, inclusive, of the general statutes.
(b) Upon the request and with the written authorization of the parent or guardian of a child attending any before or after school program, day camp or day care facility, and pursuant to the written order of (1) a physician licensed to practice medicine, (2) a physician assistant licensed to prescribe in accordance with section 20-12d of the general statutes, or (3) an advanced practice registered nurse licensed to prescribe in accordance with section 20-94a of the general statutes, the owner or operator of such before or after school program, day camp or day care facility shall approve and provide general supervision to an identified staff member trained to administer medication with a cartridge injector to such child if the child has a medically diagnosed allergic condition that may require prompt treatment in order to protect the child against serious harm or death. Such staff member shall be trained in the use of a cartridge injector by a licensed physician, physician\'s assistant, advanced practice registered nurse or registered nurse and shall complete a course in first aid offered by the American Red Cross, the American Heart Association, the National Ski Patrol, the Department of Public Health or any director of health.
(c) The Commissioner of Public Health may adopt regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54 of the general statutes, to carry out the provisions of this section.
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1October 1, 200552-557b
Sec. 2October 1, 2005New section
Statement of Purpose:
To broaden the scope of immunity from liability for negligence for the emergency use of cartridge injectors under the Good Samaritan law and to require before or after school programs, day camps and day care facilities to provide staff trained in the use of cartridge injectors.
[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.]
Co-Sponsors: REP. HEINRICH, 101st Dist.; SEN. MEYER, 12th Dist.
REP. PANARONI, 102nd Dist.; REP. WIDLITZ, 98th Dist.
REP. NAFIS, 27th Dist.; REP. HENNESSY, 127th Dist.
REP. SHAPIRO, 144th Dist
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[b]* ENRICHED * [/b]