Education and Health - Emergency Use Epinephrine - Alterations

SB 459 updates Maryland law to replace "auto-injectable epinephrine" with "emergency use epinephrine" and broadens the definition to include any FDA-approved drug delivery device for treating severe allergic reactions. The bill requires public and nonpublic schools to establish policies allowing school nurses and trained staff to administer emergency epinephrine to any student showing signs of a severe allergic reaction - regardless of prior allergy identification or prescription - while creating liability protection for good-faith responders. Key provisions mandate staff training on recognizing symptoms, proper administration, and follow-up procedures, plus annual parent notifications about school policies. Schools must report epinephrine use incidents to the Department of Education using a standardized form. These changes aim to streamline emergency care while aligning terminology and program names with current medical practices.