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Senate committee hears personal testimony in support of Seizure Safe Schools bill
Summary
Senate Education Committee heard emotional testimony and evidence supporting SB 433, the Seizure Safe Schools Act, which would require seizure‑recognition training, seizure action plans in student files, administration of prescribed FDA‑approved medications, and age‑appropriate awareness programs at no cost to schools.
Senators and witnesses told the Senate Education Committee on Feb. 25 that schools need clearer systems to recognize and respond to seizures after hearing personal accounts from people living with epilepsy and their families.
Senator Tim Lang, prime sponsor of SB 433, described the measure as bipartisan and bicameral and said it sets four practical requirements: seizure recognition and first‑aid training for school personnel; inclusion of a seizure action plan in a student’s file; assurance that FDA‑approved prescribed medications are administered as directed; and free, age‑appropriate epilepsy awareness programs for students. "Our goal was to where the seizures actually happen and make sure the people ... in the classrooms on the soccer fields ... know what to do," Lang said.
Why it matters: committee members and advocates emphasized that seizures are common and can present in many forms. Lang cited prevalence estimates and witnesses gave first‑hand accounts: "I have had epilepsy since I was 4 years old," testified Dorothy Crowell of the Epilepsy Foundation New England, who described how coordinated teacher, nurse and classmate support in elementary school improved safety and learning. Student witness Parker Hat described years of seizures and multiple brain surgeries and told senators, "Passing the teacher safe school bill means fewer students will have to learn survival before learning algebra."
Supporters told the committee the bill focuses training on the adults who supervise students during school activities, including athletics, and noted trainings typically last 60–90 minutes and teach recognition of the three to five most common seizure types, standard first aid, when to call for help, and how to set up an action plan. Mary Crowell, a retired teacher who has trained hundreds of educators, said the sessions are designed to build confidence rather than create medical experts: "They will recognize the most common 3 to 5 seizures ... what the standard first aid is ... and most importantly, how to support that student."
Opposition or concerns: in this hearing there were no organized opponents; several senators asked whether Department of Education resources or the DOE website could host materials similar to diabetes guidance and whether a master‑trainer model (used for EpiPen training) should be included. Senator Lang said he would not object to adding DOE website materials and framed the bill as a targeted first step to make schools safer.
Next steps: the committee closed public testimony on SB 433 after receiving these witnesses and questions. No committee votes were recorded during this hearing; the bill will remain in committee for further consideration.
Ending: Advocates left senators with both statistics and vivid personal accounts, urging a practical training and planning framework to reduce risks for students with epilepsy.
