Pupil health: food allergies: local educational agency policy.

Existing law requires school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools to provide emergency epinephrine auto-injectors to school nurses and trained personnel who have volunteered, as specified, and authorizes school nurses and trained personnel to use epinephrine auto-injectors to provide emergency medical aid to persons suffering, or reasonably believed to be suffering, from an anaphylactic reaction. This bill would require each local educational agency, as defined, to develop, in coordination with specified individuals, and have in place, beginning with the 2017–18 school year, a comprehensive policy with specified protocols to protect pupils with food allergies. By imposing additional duties on local educational agencies, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions.