Big news for the families of school aged children in Nevada: we have a number for our stock epinephrine for schools bill! SB453! This is the second important step out of the many ahead of us in securing stock epinephrine auto-injectors in Nevada public schools (private schools will be authorized to stock). The first step was working with Senator Debbie Smith to help champion this issue and getting a bill drafted. The second step was for the draft to become a real, true to life bill. I want to share this process with my food allergy community and will post my new web series, “Advocating for Epinephrine in Nevada Schools” every Tuesday unless a critical item develops sooner. Next week I will post about all the various people involved in this process, from our food allergy heroine, Senator Debbie Smith, to our work group members and even to Mylan, the maker of Epipen®Auto-Injector. Our next steps are…
Senator Debbie Smith during a work session regarding epinephrine in Schools
- Wait for the actual bill language, which means, wait for the bill to be published online so we can read what it exactly states.
- Wait to see what the fiscal note will be, which means, wait to see what the State believes the costs will be to manage this law if it is passed.
- Organize our thoughts so that we can present logical clear information to our legislators as to why this type of law is needed in Nevada.
- Organize our plan to present testimony for the next bill hearing. It is very important to realize how much information must be presented to law makers every single day and that when we get our chance to speak, we need to be organized, articulate and to the point. Sometimes hearings are cut short, testimony needs to be prioritized so that our group is not repeating what the person just stated before them during a hearing. To help this issue, we created the Nevada Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Coalition to create one voice representing the Northern Nevada Asthma and Food Allergy Parent Education Group (AAPE) in Reno and the Food Allergy Parent Education Group (FAPE) in Las Vegas, including many allergists across the state.
- Create suggestions to help families organize their thoughts on how they will tell their story and express their needs to their representatives for support of SB453.
Epipen®Auto-Injector and Auvi-Q®
As you can see, right now will be all about organizing our thoughts, presentation and reasons as to why SB453 in very important to all students in Nevada. One big lesson I have learned is that our legislators can’t make good decisions if we don’t tell them what we need, educate them on the topic if they are unfamiliar and help them understand our own personal stories. They need to know their law making is important, needed and will make a difference.
Today, I am celebrating this small, but important step in bringing epineprhine Auto-injectors to Nevada Schools (SB453) with a soy latte!
I am grateful we will go through this process together.
p.s. Please be ready my fellow Nevadans as I will post requests to you and your peeps! Together, we need to be one strong, clear and articulate voice! I know we can do this. I can feel it in my bones. Food Allergy mamas and papas never give up and stay vigilant 24/7. So clearly, this is within our reach.
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One of the hardest things I find about managing both life threatening food allergies and asthma is talking to others. I hate to be the one that might be perceived as demanding, pushing or for asking too much. What I now know, fourteen years later, is that honest, clear information presented with kindness works!..
Congratulations, again, on this important milestone!
I am so happy that at least we are at the table! Many hurdles are ahead, but at least we are in the game!
Wahooo! I’m off to shower to go get that fancy soy latte with the cute design on top!
Fantastic news! Thanks for ALL your hard work Caroline! I look forward to giving Debbie Smith a big hug on walk day (and you).
Cyber friends, Senator Smith is our Honorary Walk chair for the Las Vegas FARE food allergy walk. Even though Sen. Smith lives in Reno, due to her state wide commitment to education, children and food allergy awareness, she was chosen for this special honor.
Dana, hug her twice! I’m so happy we are in the game and not on the sidelines watching.
I look forward to you sharing the process as it happens! I know that each state may be somewhat unique, but you sharing this may inspire advocates in other states to follow suit, using Nevada as a model of what can be done. Well-done and thank you!
Thank you! I think by simply watching the other states, we all learn and pick up new ideas. Also, I feel so incredibly unified as a nation moving towards solutions when I read about other states, it is simply empowering!
I look forward to hearing more. I remember when my daughter had to have a special doctor’s note to keep her albuterol inhaler with her for her asthma.
My daughter was a toddler when we had that bill passed that kids could carry their Epi Pens and inhalers at school, with permission from parents, doctor and school nurse (age appropriate). Actually, I remember when my put my son 9 years ago in private school since the public schools at that point said they would keep the child “comfortable” until Emergency Services arrived!!! Hum, how do you keep a child not breathing comfortable. I was so grateful to the Head Nurse who took over and began to change policy regarding managing food allergies in school. We’ve come a a long way and that is inspired!
Great news! Thanks, Caroline, for sharing the process and progress. Keep us posted and enjoy that fancy soy latte!
This site was… how do you say it? Relevant!!
Finally I’ve found something that helped
me. Thank you!