Schools: emergency medical assistance: administration of epilepsy medication.

Existing law provides that in the absence of a credentialed school nurse or other licensed nurse onsite at the school, a school district is authorized to provide school personnel with voluntary medical training to provide emergency medical assistance to pupils with diabetes suffering from severe hypoglycemia. This bill, until January 1, 2017, would authorize a school district, county office of education, or charter school to participate in a program to provide nonmedical school employees with voluntary emergency medical training to provide, in the absence of a credentialed school nurse or other licensed nurse onsite at the school or charter school, emergency medical assistance to pupils with epilepsy suffering from seizures, in accordance with guidelines developed by the State Department of Education in consultation with the State Department of Public Health. The bill would require the State Department of Education to post these guidelines on its Internet Web site by July 1, 2012. The bill would allow a parent or guardian of a pupil with epilepsy who has been prescribed an emergency antiseizure medication by the pupil's health care provider, to request the pupil's school to have one or more of its employees receive voluntary training, as specified, in order to administer the emergency antiseizure medication, as defined, in the event that the pupil suffers a seizure when a nurse is not available. The bill would require a school district, county office of education, or charter school that elects to train school employees to ensure that the school or charter school distributes an electronic notice, as specified, to all staff regarding the request. The bill would authorize the State Department of Education to include, on its Internet Web site, a clearinghouse of best practices in training nonmedical personnel in administering an emergency antiseizure medication pursuant to these provisions. The bill would make various legislative findings and declarations, and state the intent of the Legislature in enacting this measure.