In this March 12, 2014, photo, Heidi Elbarky draws blood from a finger of her son, Omar, 8, to test his sugar level using OneTouch Ping that transfers the sugar level to Omar’s insulin pump in Spring Hill, Tenn.NASHVILLE – Missy Gaw’s 10-year-old daughter has to have a dose of insulin each time she eats. If no nurse is available to administer the dosage at the girl’s Nashville elementary school, then Gaw or her husband drive there to do so.
Gaw’s husband is self-employed, and she works from home, so they have accommodating schedules. But many other parents whose children depend on insulin aren’t so fortunate.
“I personally don’t feel much of a hardship, but … there are a lot of other parents who don’t have as flexible jobs as my husband and I do,” Gaw said.
That’s one of the main reasons 23 states and the District of Columbia have passed laws that add insulin to medications school staff may volunteer to be trained to administer, according to the American Diabetes Association. The Alexandria, Va.-based organization has gradually recruited states since it began pushing the legislation about 1999.
The Tennessee House overwhelmingly approved the legislation 76-11 on Thursday, a few days after the Senate unanimously approved it. The measure now goes to the governor, who is likely to sign it into law. Kentucky made comparable legislation a law this month, and Alabama, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania are considering similar bills.