House legislation on Food Allergies and "Epipen" for Schools across nation (November 2013)

from coverage in Obama Food-o-rama (http://obamafoodorama.blogspot.com/ ) Many schools across the nation will soon will be safer for children with severe food allergies and asthma. On Wednesday during an Oval Office ceremony attended by key Congressional sponsors and advocates, President Barack Obama signed into law H.R. 2094, the "School Access to Emergency Epinephrine Act." (Above, the ceremony) The Act "will save children's lives," and signing it had personal meaning, the President noted at the ceremony: First Daughter Malia, 15, is allergic to peanuts, he said. The first federal law of its kind, the measure provides a funding incentive to states that enact laws allowing school personnel to stock emergency supplies of epinephrine and administer it to children without a prescription. The first line of treatment for anaphylaxis, the life-threating allergic response, epinephrine is typically delivered with an EpiPen or other similar device. "I just want to thank all of the outstanding legislators who are here and advocates," President Obama said. "This is something that will save children’s lives. Some people may know that Malia actually has a peanut allergy. She doesn’t have asthma, but obviously making sure that EpiPens are available in case of emergency in schools is something that every parent can understand." The prevalence of food allergies among children increased 18% during 1997–2007, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), with allergic reactions to food the most common cause of anaphylaxis in community settings. About 1 in 20 children suffer food allergies, according to a recent survey, and in 2006, about 88% of schools had one or more students with a food allergy. And children with food allergies are two to four times more likely to have asthma or other allergic conditions than those without food allergies, CDC reports. About 25% of anaphylaxis cases reported at schools occur in children with no prior history of food allergy, the agency says. Anaphylaxis can also be caused by a reaction to insect bites, to latex, and to medication. It causes breathing passages to narrow, blood pressure to drop, and can lead to rapid unconsciousness and death if not immediately treated. The law changes the Children’s Asthma Treatment Grants Program and other federal asthma programs, and authorizes the Department of Health and Human Services to give funding preferences to states for asthma-treatment grants if they maintain an emergency supply of epinephrine (EpiPens); if they permit trained personnel of the school to administer epinephrine; and if they develop a plan for ensuring trained personnel are available to administer epinephrine during all hours of the school day, Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett explained on the White House blog. "And, thanks to the bipartisan work of the folks behind us and the advocacy communities that have been pushing this so hard, we’re going to be giving states a lot more incentives to make sure that that happens," President Obama said. "So I want to congratulate all of you." The measure had bipartisan support, and before heading to the President's desk was approved by the House on July 30, 2013, and then by the Senate on Oct. 31, 2013. It passed by unanimous consent in both chambers. Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD) co-sponsored the House bill along with Rep. Phil Roe (R-Tenn). Both were at the President's signing ceremony.