Press Release posted 5/19/15 – Legislation authored by Senate Minority Leader Bob Huff (R-Diamond Bar) passed off the Floor of the State Senate with unanimous support and will now move to the State Assembly. SB 738 is follow-up legislation from SB 1266, which Senator Huff successfully authored and the governor signed into law last year. SB 1266 required public schools to stock epinephrine auto injectors on campus so critically important medicine can be administered quickly and safely if a student suffered from a serious anaphylactic allergy reaction during school hours.
Recent data from the California School Nurses Organization shows that many schools who are trying to implement SB 1266 cannot because they cannot obtain the necessary prescription from physicians, who cite liability concerns.
“I want to share some good news about this policy, as it is a credit to many of you who supported this effort last year,” Senator Huff said during his Floor presentation. “My office has recently been informed that this medication was used in the San Marcos School District and potentially saved a child who was “crashing” just last month. This policy is important and is working.”
SB 738 will provide limited liability protection for prescribing physicians writing standing order prescriptions in order to comply with SB 1266 and is similar to current law as it relates to liability for AEDs and opioid antagonists.
“There are other states, Nevada and Virginia to name just a few, who also require schools to stock life-saving epinephrine on campus and also offer similar liability protections to physicians,” said Senator Huff.