Virginia committee reviews bill on diabetes care, considers adding pre-K and using at‑risk funds to hire school nurses

Richmond — The Virginia School Health Services Full Committee reviewed Senate Bill 1303, a measure on care for students with type 1 diabetes, and considered two related legislative proposals that would expand which students are covered by school health rules and give school divisions more flexibility to use at‑risk funds to hire registered nurses.

Senate Bill 1303, authored by Senator McPike and reviewed in a subcommittee earlier the same day, addresses responsibilities of school nurses and division staff for treating students with type 1 diabetes, including how treatment will be provided during the school day. "That is the bill by Senator McPike that deals with type 1 diabetes students and the role of the nurse and the school division," Ryan Brimmer of the Division of Legislative Services told the committee.

The committee also examined two staff-drafted proposals. The first, submitted to staff by Angela Moore, would explicitly add prekindergarten students to existing Virginia Code provisions about student medication and health management. "It clarifies that certain provisions of law relating to the administration of epinephrine, undesignated stock albuterol inhalers, involved holding chambers, insulin, nasal or injectable glucagon, and opioid antagonists to public school students ... also apply to any student enrolled in a pre kindergarten program in a public school,"…