NASN Legislative Priorities

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NASN Legislative Priorities for 2012

• The Student-to-School Nurse Ratio Improvement Act of 2011 was reintroduced in the House on June 16, 2011.  The Senate version of the bill was reintroduced on January 26, 2012. The Act would create a pilot grant program allowing federal assistance for local educational agencies most in need of improving their ratio.  All students should be able to have their health needs safely met while in the school setting.  Current reality is that although students today have greater medical needs than in past generations, caseload assignments for nurses vary greatly throughout the U.S. and within states.  NASN is asking Members of Congress to become co-sponsors of Representative Carolyn McCarthy’s (D-NY-4) bill in the House (H.R. 2229), and Senator Chuck Schumer’s (D-NY) bill in the Senate (S. 2047). Member support of this critical piece of legislation will work towards ensuring that all students’ health needs are addressed.

• As the Congress continues to work on the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and prepares for the reauthorization of IDEA, NASN requests the inclusion of specialized instructional support personnel (SISP) throughout legislative language.  As essential members of specialized instructional support personnel, school nurses are serving as a critical link to school success for many students.  Having specialized instructional support personnel included in reauthorizing laws would pave the way for the creation of a National School Nurse/Coordinated School Health position within the leadership ranks of the U.S. Department of Education.  Such a position would help guide the implementation of necessary health services for all students, including the increasing number of disabled students and students with chronic health conditions.  Congressman Dave Loebsack’s (D-IA-2) bill, H.R. 1995, is supportive of this priority and SISP language is in the Senate Manager’s Amendment for ESEA.  

•  Bipartisan legislation has been introduced in the House and Senate that has the potential for saving lives in schools throughout the country.  It is the School Access to Emergency Epinephrine Act (H.R. 3627 and S. 1884).  In the U.S., approximately 5 M children have asthma and nearly 6 M children have food allergies. The companion bills would provide states with incentives to require elementary and secondary schools to maintain and permit school personnel to administer epinephrine at schools.  The lead role of the school nurse as “authorized personnel” is cited in the bills. NASN is asking Members of Congress to co-sponsor this legislation and support its eventual enactment so that more schools nationwide will allow for immediate treatment for anaphylaxis.