Reps. Richardson, Rogers introduce bill to permit schools and camps to store life-saving glucagon medication

COLUMBUS– State Representatives John Rogers (D-Mentor-On-The-Lake) and Tracy Richardson (R-Marysville)  introduced bipartisan legislation today to help better protect children with diabetes.

The measure would allow Ohio schools and camps to store glucagon, a hormone used to increase blood sugar levels in diabetics when they lose consciousness or do not respond to orally administered glucose.

Under the bill, Ohio schools and camps are permitted to have dosages of glucagon on hand for emergency situations, when a child’s own injectable or nasally administered glucagon is not on hand. Schools and camps would be able to develop their own protocols around both the storage and administration of glucagon.

“Ohio children living with diabetes stand to greatly benefit from this potentially life-saving safeguard,” said Rogers. “Parents deserve to know their kids are safe. School and camp staff should not have to face barriers to taking swift action in emergency situations.”

“This life-saving, permissive, and common sense legislation will protect diabetic students, teachers, camp counselors, and all who visit our schools in Ohio,” said Richardson. “By allowing schools to stock glucagon, and empowering nurses and trained professionals to use the glucagon when necessary, emergency treatment will be more readily available when it is most needed. Those suffering from diabetes, and their families, are counting on us to help them.”

The glucagon legislation now awaits referral to an Ohio House of Representatives Committee for further consideration.

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