State Representative Christina M. Hagan
Ohio House District 50
House Bill 200
Ohio Senate Health and Human Services Committee
April 13th, 2016
ChairJones, Vice Chairman Lehner, Ranking Member Tavares and Members of the Ohio Senate Health and Human Services Committee, it is my honor to present to you House Bill 200, a bill that is a continuation of a previously passed life saving measure for responding immediately to allergic reactions within our school systems to prevent harm or death. This bill would expand access and allow summer camps, sports arenas, recreational parks, and other places where children and adults could come into contact with life-threatening allergens to stock auto-injectors and allow trained personnel to administer them in emergencies.
In 2014, Ohio passed legislation to allow for stock epinephrine auto-injectors to be in schools and to permit trained school personnel to administer them in an emergency. This law has helped make schools better prepared to help a child survive a severe anaphylactic reaction. This was a great step forward to protecting our children who may be vulnerable to an allergic reaction but have not yet been diagnosed. Since its passage we know of at least two children’s lives that have been impacted by the ability to store and administer this life saving auto-injector on site of the school grounds.
Expansion of this law would save lives without boundaries. Because these are emergencies, unanticipated deaths can occur if there are not measures available for immediate response. Failure to administer epinephrine early in the course of an emergency has been a common cause ofanaphylaxis fatalities and that is why it is so important to make epinephrine auto-injectors more widely available for those who know that they are at risk but are not prepared, and for those who didn’t know they were at risk.
Experts have estimated that 1 out of 13 children in the U.S have a food allergy, which is a considerably high number. Also, food allergies are only one of a number of allergies that can result in a life threatening anaphylaxis. As a server in a restaurant, I have witnessed the use of the Heimlich maneuver when airways have been restricted by food and guests’ lives have been in danger. I have also taken special attention to orders and modifications to entrees for many guests with allergies throughout the years. I am certain that this bill giving permissive ability tothese additional locations will be of great public service for those who wish to participate in training their employees alongside healthcare professionals and having the epinephrine on site to in the case of emergencies.
Currently, as of this month, 22 states have now enacted similar legislation as this, soon to be 23 with the addition of Tennessee. In addition, 9 other states have passed it through the first Chamber and it is under consideration in 4 more states.
Thank you for allowing me to provide sponsor testimony on House Bill 200, I hope to have your support in the passage of this bill to save lives and look forward to answering any questions that you might have at this time.
77 South High Street, 13th floor, Columbus, Ohio 43215