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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2023 - 2024
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | December 19, 2022 09:04 AM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Brandon J. Markosek |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Making Schools Safer for Students with Epilepsy (Haley's Law) |
| No parent should be worried about their child’s safety while they are at school. However, children who are diagnosed with epilepsy may be at a higher risk of getting injured in school if they experience a seizure. This is certainly an added layer of concern and stress that parents with children who have epilepsy must deal with as they send their children to school. If schools and teachers are not able to effectively plan for the possibility that a student could have a seizure, it could become a traumatic experience for the student, their classmates, and their teacher. We can do something now to make learning environments safe for students with epilepsy and equip schools, staff, and students with the resources to manage possible seizures. For this reason, I am introducing legislation that would establish procedures by which parents could give a school a physician-approved seizure management and treatment plan. Such a plan would identify the health care services the student could receive at school and evaluate the student’s ability to manage their epilepsy or other seizure disorder. The legislation would also provide civil and criminal liability protection for the schools, staff, and healthcare providers acting in accordance with these provisions. Establishing statewide access to treatment plans will increase both student safety and awareness of seizure disorders like epilepsy in a way that empowers, rather than hinders, our hardworking teachers and school nurses. Please join me in co-sponsoring this measure to ensure concerned families across Pennsylvania have the peace of mind they deserve. |