What's happening
This bill allows students with adrenal insufficiency to carry and use hydrocortisone at school, and authorizes school personnel to assist with its administration.
Why it matters
Improves emergency preparedness for students with adrenal insufficiency. By allowing trained school personnel to administer hydrocortisone, the bill ensures that students can receive potentially life-saving medication quickly, even if a nurse or physician is not immediately available during a crisis.
Reduces barriers for students’ full participation in school. The law ensures students can carry and self-administer their medication as needed, which can minimize disruptions, reduce absences, and foster a safer, more inclusive environment for those with adrenal insufficiency.
Provides legal protections for schools and staff. The bill includes liability shields for school districts and employees who act in good faith, reducing fears of legal repercussions and making schools more willing to support these students’ medical needs.
Standardizes procedures and documentation. By requiring physician and parental consent, specific documentation, and clear protocols for medication storage and administration, the bill helps ensure consistent, regulated care for students across different schools and districts.
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Who cares
Students with adrenal insufficiency and their parents
The bill would let eligible students carry and self-administer prescribed hydrocortisone sodium succinate at school and school functions with parental consent and written medical permission.
School districts and BOCES
They would have to permit qualifying students’ medication use and requested storage of extra supplies with employed licensed health professionals, while receiving liability protection for reasonable, good-faith compliance.
School nurses and other licensed school health professionals
The bill would authorize them to calculate prescribed doses, give injections and teach unlicensed personnel to administer the medication.
Unlicensed school personnel and nonpublic schools
The bill would allow training of unlicensed staff to give prescribed hydrocortisone sodium succinate in emergencies when a licensed health professional is unavailable, with written medical permission and parental consent.
Headline styles
Allow Hydrocortisone Injections in Schools
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
Senator · Senate District 40
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to education
- Referred to education
Full text
3 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
5579
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
April 18, 2017
Introduced by Sen. MURPHY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to health services to pupils with adrenal insufficiency
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The education law is amended by adding two new sections 902-c and 916-c to read as follows:
§ 902-c. Treatment of students diagnosed with adrenal insufficiency by school personnel. 1. Licensed nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, or physicians employed by school districts or boards of cooperative educational services are authorized to calculate prescribed hydrocortisone sodium succinate dosages, inject prescribed hydrocortisone sodium succinate, teach an unlicensed person to administer hydrocortisone sodium succinate to an individual, and perform other authorized services pursuant to the scope of practice of the licensed individual under title VIII of this chapter, to pupils who have received written permission by a physician or other licensed health care provider, and written parental consent to carry and use hydrocortisone sodium succinate pursuant to section nine hundred sixteen-c of this article, during the school day on school property and at any school function as such terms are defined, respectively, by subdivisions one and two of section eleven of this chapter. Nothing in this section shall authorize unlicensed persons to perform these services except as otherwise permitted by section nine hundred twenty-one of this article.
2. A school district, board of cooperative educational services and/or their agents or employees shall incur no legal or financial liability as a result of any harm or injury sustained by a pupil or other person caused by reasonable and good faith compliance with this section.
§ 916-c. Pupils with adrenal insufficiency. 1. The board of education or trustees of each school district and board of cooperative educational
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04051-01-7
S. 5579 2
services shall allow pupils who have been diagnosed with adrenal insufficiency to carry and use hydrocortisone sodium succinate through appropriate medication delivery devices and equipment, as prescribed by a physician or other duly authorized health care provider, during the school day on school property and at any school function as such terms are defined, respectively, by subdivisions one and two of section eleven of this chapter, with parental consent and the written permission of a physician or other duly authorized health care provider. The written permission shall include an attestation by the physician or the health care provider confirming the following: (a) the pupil's diagnosis of adrenal insufficiency makes the delivery of hydrocortisone sodium succinate through appropriate medication delivery devices during the school day on school property or at any school function necessary; and (b) that the pupil has demonstrated that he or she can self-administer the prescribed hydrocortisone sodium succinate effectively and can independently follow the treatment orders prescribed by the physician or other authorized health care provider in the written permission. The written permission shall identify prescribed hydrocortisone sodium succinate to be used by the pupil at school and/or during school functions. If hydrocortisone sodium succinate is prescribed, the written permission shall include the dose or dose range and the type of hydrocortisone sodium succinate delivery system and any other information prescribed by the commissioner in regulation, after consultation with the commissioner of health. A record of such consent and permission shall be maintained in the student's cumulative health record. In addition, upon the written request of a parent or person in parental relation, the board of education or trustees of a school district and board of cooperative educational services shall allow such pupils to maintain extra hydrocortisone sodium succinate and a delivery system and related supplies used to treat such pupil's adrenal insufficiency in the care and custody of a licensed nurse, nurse practitioner, physician assistant, or physician employed by such district or board of cooperative educational services, and shall be readily accessible to such pupil. Nothing in this section shall require a school district or board of cooperative educational services to retain a licensed nurse, nurse practitioner, physician assistant, or physician solely for the purpose of taking custody of extra hydrocortisone sodium succinate and a delivery system and related supplies used to treat such pupil's adrenal insufficiency, or require that a licensed nurse, nurse practitioner, physician assistant, or physician be available at all times in a school building for the purpose of taking custody of extra hydrocortisone sodium succinate and a delivery system and related supplies. In addition, the medication and devices, equipment and supplies provided by the pupil's parents or persons in parental relation shall be made available to the pupil as needed in accordance with the school district's or board of cooperative educational services' policy and the orders prescribed in the written permission of the physician or other authorized health care provider.
2. A school district, board of cooperative educational services and/or their agents or employees shall incur no legal or financial liability as a result of any harm or injury sustained by a pupil or other person caused by reasonable and good faith compliance with this section.
§ 2. Subdivision 1 of section 921 of the education law, as added by chapter 423 of the laws of 2014, is amended to read as follows:
1. The board of education or trustees of each school district and board of cooperative educational services and nonpublic schools are authorized, but not obligated to have licensed registered professional
S. 5579 3
nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and physicians train unlicensed school personnel to inject prescribed glucagon, hydrocortisone sodium succinate or epinephrine auto injectors in emergency situations, where an appropriately licensed health professional is not available, to pupils who have the written permission of a physician or other duly authorized health care provider for the administration of injectable glucagon, hydrocortisone sodium succinate or emergency epinephrine auto injector, along with written parental consent, during the school day on school property and at any school function as such terms are defined, respectively, by subdivisions one and two of section eleven of this chapter. Training must be provided by a physician or other duly authorized licensed health care professional in a competent manner and must be completed in a form and manner prescribed by the commissioner in regulation.
§ 3. This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law. Provided, that effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary to implement the provisions of this act on its effective date are authorized and directed to be made and completed on or before such date.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the education law, in relation to health services to pupils with adrenal insufficiency
Purpose
This bill provides for treatment in school of pupils with adrenal insufficiency
Summary of provisions
Section one amends the education law by adding two new section 902-c and 916-c. Section 902c allows school boards to authorize licensed health care providers to train unlicensed school personnel to inject prescribed hydrocortisone sodium succinate in an emergency where a licensed health care provider is not available. School districts shall not be financially or legally liable for compliance with these provisions.
Section 916-c allows students who have been diagnosed with adrenal insufficiency to carry and use prescribed equipment and medications at school and school functions with parental consent and written permission of their health care provider. Additionally, this section allows students to maintain extra medication in the care and custody of a health care professional employed by the school. School districts shall not be financially or legally liable for compliance with these provisions.
Section two amends section 921 of the education law to add hydrocortisone sodium succinate, the medication prescribed to treat adrenal insufficiency, to the list of medications a licensed care provider is permitted to train unlicensed school personnel to administer in an emergency situation.
Section three establishes the effective date.
Justification
Adrenal insufficiency is a disorder in which the adrenal glands fail to produce sufficient amounts of steroid hormones, such as the stress hormone cortisol. Inadequate levels of adrenal hormones can result in an adrenal crisis, which may be life threatening without proper immediate treatment. Adrenal crisis can lead to severe health consequences, including hypoglycemia, extremely low blood pressure, vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration, pain in the lower back, abdomen or legs and loss of consciousness. Additionally, stress, fatigue and illnesses such as the common cold or an ear infection could also lead to adrenal crisis in children with adrenal insufficiency.
Children with adrenal insufficiency require monitoring due to the difficulty in detecting the onset of an adrenal crisis. If not treated immediately, symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea, will make oral medications unusable, and require rushing the child to the hospital for an injectable dose of the medication. This bill would alleviate these concerns by allowing students to carry and use prescribed equipment and medications at school and school functions. It would also allow school districts to authorize licensed health care providers to train unlicensed school personnel to inject prescribed hydrocortisone sodium succinate in an emergency where a licensed health care provider is unavailable. School districts will not be legally or financially liable for complying with these provisions. This piece of legislation will ensure that children with adrenal insufficiency will have access to their life saving medication. LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :
New bill.
Fiscal implications
None.
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law. Provided, that effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary to implement the provisions of this act on its effective date are authorized and directed to be made and completed on or before such date.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.