Senate OKs School Guidelines for Food Allergies
A bill that would create a committee of experts, school officials and parents to develop guidelines for schools to use to craft food allergy protocols passed the Senate today. The vote was 30-1.
Advocates of the bill said Texas public schools currently have no uniform guidelines to deal with what can be deadly reactions to certain foods, and the number of children with food allergies is on the rise.
A 2008 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that in the U.S., 3 million children under age 18 have a food allergy. Four of every 100 children has a food allergy, according to the report.
“This bill would address the disparity of how our schools address food allergies,” said Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, author of the bill.
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