What's happening
This bill allows school nurses to adjust a student's insulin dosage under specific instructions from a prescriber or authorized parent.
Why it matters
Expands the flexibility of school nurses. by allowing them to adjust a student’s insulin dosage, not only based on specific prescriber instructions but also according to instructions from an authorized parent or guardian, if the prescriber explicitly permits it.
Addresses the realities of diabetes management in schools. , where students may have rapidly changing needs (due to activity, meals, or illness), by empowering nurses to make timely insulin adjustments without waiting for new written orders.
Balances safety and responsiveness. , as the nurse’s authority to vary dosage under parental instruction is only allowed when a licensed prescriber has explicitly authorized this in advance—potentially reducing risks of miscommunication or inappropriate medication changes.
May improve student health outcomes and school participation. by reducing delays in diabetes care, supporting students’ ability to safely attend school and activities, and easing coordination between families and school health personnel.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Let Nurses Adjust Insulin
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
1 Co-sponsor
History
- Referred to education
- Referred to education
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Let Nurses Adjust Insulin
In Assembly Committee · Education · Sponsor Amy Paulin
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
1900
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 17, 2019
Introduced by Sen. GALLIVAN -- 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 when school personnel may adjust a student's dosage of insulin
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 902-a of the education law, as added by chapter 423 of the laws of 2014, is amended to read as follows:
1. Licensed nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, or physicians employed by school districts or boards of cooperative educational services are authorized to calculate prescribed insulin dosages, administer prescribed insulin (which may include adjusting the dosage of the insulin under instructions from the prescriber or instructions from the parent or person in parental relationship where explicitly authorized by the prescriber), program the prescribed insulin pump, refill the reservoir in the insulin pump, change the infusion site, inject prescribed glucagon, teach an unlicensed person to administer glucagon 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 insulin and glucagon pursuant to section nine hundred sixteen-b 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 twentyone of this article, as added by chapter four hundred twenty-three of the laws of two thousand fourteen.
§ 2. Section 6909 of the education law is amended by adding a new subdivision 10 to read as follows:
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02890-02-9
S. 1900 2
10. A registered professional nurse, when administering insulin under a prescription, may vary the insulin dosage under instructions from the parent or person in parental relationship where explicitly authorized by the prescriber.
§ 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
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 when school personnel may adjust a student's dosage of insulin
Purpose
To clarify that licensed school personnel may adjust the dosage of prescribed insulin under instructions of the prescriber of the insulin with parental consent
Summary of provisions
Section 1 amends subdivision 1 of section 902-a of the education law, as added by chapter 423 of the laws of 2014, to provide that licensed nurs- es, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, or physicians employed by school districts or boards of cooperative educational services are authorized to administer prescribed insulin, which may include adjusting the dosage of the insulin under instructions from the prescriber or instructions from the parent or person in parental relationship where explicitly authorized by the prescriber.
Read the full memo (619 words)
Section 2 amends section 6909 of the education law by adding a new subdivision 9 to provide that a registered professional nurse, when administering insulin under a prescription, may vary the insulin dosage under instructions from the parent or person in parental relationship where explicitly authorized by the prescriber.
Section 3 provides the effective date.
Justification
Children with diabetes require close monitoring and management as their insulin needs fluctuate throughout the day and from day to day. To monitor their needs, children may wear a continual glucose monitor (CGM) to track glucose levels at regular intervals throughout the school day, providing the readings on the CGM and transmitting concurrently the data to a child's parent on a computer, smartphone or. tablet. With such monitoring devices, a parent is alerted immediately if the child's blood sugar level drops to a dangerously low level or a high preset level. Armed with the data, a parent can contact a school nurse to request that the child's insulin dosage be adjusted depending on the reading provided by the CGM.
Current law authorizes licensed nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, or physicians employed by school districts or boards of cooperative educational services to, among other things, calculate prescribed insulin dosages, administer prescribed insulin, program the prescribed insulin pump, refill the reservoir in the insulin pump, and inject prescribed glucagon to pupils who have received written permis- sion by a physician and written parental consent to carry and use insu- lin and glucagon during the school day.
Nevertheless, some school nurses believe they are not permitted under the law to adjust the levels of the insulin during the day as directed by a parent even though the child's physician has written an order that provides for the administration of insulin and adjustment of dosage upon request by the parent. As a result, a parent must interrupt his or her job or other responsibilities to go immediately to the child's school and adjust the dosage in person. Such frequent and unscheduled disruptions may force a parent to take an unpaid leave of absence, imposing economic hardship on the family and straining the emotional well-being of the child with diabetes and the child's family.
To remove any ambiguity in the law and eliminate any inconsistency in the administration by licensed school personnel in school districts and BOCES throughout the State of prescribed insulin dosage, this bill makes clear that such school personnel may adjust the insulin dosage, includ- ing by insulin pump or other device, under instructions to such school personnel from a parent or person in parental relationship where adjust- ment of dosage is explicitly authorized by the prescriber. In this way we can ensure that children with diabetes can obtain the insulin dosage they need on a timely basis.
Legislative history
2017-18: S.5679/A.6520 Referred to Education
Fiscal implications
None to the State.
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.