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Senate advances bill allowing trained volunteers to administer glucagon to students in emergencies
Summary
Senate Bill 8 would let trained nonmedical school volunteers administer glucagon in diabetic emergencies, protect volunteers with liability provisions, and permit some students to carry prescribed medication; the Senate voted to read the bill for a third time (28-0-1).
Senate Bill 8, which aims to allow trained nonmedical volunteers to administer glucagon during diabetic emergencies and to permit certain students to carry prescribed diabetes medication at school, advanced on the Senate floor. Sponsor Senator Arent (Arendt) said the bill protects parental authority and provides liability protection for volunteers and trainers while enabling emergency care in schools that lack an on-site nurse.
Arent explained that glucagon can be given by nonmedical personnel after brief training and that, when prescribed by a doctor and provided by a parent, glucagon can prevent brain injury or death when a child has severe hypoglycemia. ‘‘It's what they need in an emergency,’’ Arent said, noting endorsements from the American Diabetes Association, Utah Medical Association and school nurses.
Floor questions focused on liability language and interplay with the Good Samaritan statute. Arent said she would review the language before third reading to ensure the bill's liability provisions function as intended and do not narrow coverage inadvertently.
The Senate called the question and voted to read SB 8 for the third time; the roll call recorded 28 yes votes, 0 nay votes and 1 absent.
