READ FIRST TIME 02/22/13.   

     AN ACT Relating to expanding the types of medications that a public or private school employee may administer to include nasal spray; and amending RCW 28A.210.260 and 28A.210.270.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

Sec. 1   RCW 28A.210.260 and 2012 c 16 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
     Public school districts and private schools which conduct any of grades kindergarten through the twelfth grade may provide for the administration of oral medication, topical medication, eye drops, ((or)) ear drops, or nasal spray, of any nature to students who are in the custody of the school district or school at the time of administration, but are not required to do so by this section, subject to the following conditions:
     (1) The board of directors of the public school district or the governing board of the private school or, if none, the chief administrator of the private school shall adopt policies which address the designation of employees who may administer oral medications, topical medications, eye drops, ((or)) ear drops, or nasal spray to students, the acquisition of parent requests and instructions, and the acquisition of requests from licensed health professionals prescribing within the scope of their prescriptive authority and instructions regarding students who require medication for more than fifteen consecutive school days, the identification of the medication to be administered, the means of safekeeping medications with special attention given to the safeguarding of legend drugs as defined in chapter 69.41 RCW, and the means of maintaining a record of the administration of such medication;
     (2) The board of directors shall seek advice from one or more licensed physicians or nurses in the course of developing the foregoing policies;
     (3) The public school district or private school is in receipt of a written, current and unexpired request from a parent, or a legal guardian, or other person having legal control over the student to administer the medication to the student;
     (4) The public school district or the private school is in receipt of (a) a written, current and unexpired request from a licensed health professional prescribing within the scope of his or her prescriptive authority for administration of the medication, as there exists a valid health reason which makes administration of such medication advisable during the hours when school is in session or the hours in which the student is under the supervision of school officials, and (b) written, current and unexpired instructions from such licensed health professional prescribing within the scope of his or her prescriptive authority regarding the administration of prescribed medication to students who require medication for more than fifteen consecutive workdays;
     (5) The medication is administered by an employee designated by or pursuant to the policies adopted pursuant to subsection (1) of this section and in substantial compliance with the prescription of a licensed health professional prescribing within the scope of his or her prescriptive authority or the written instructions provided pursuant to subsection (4) of this section. If a school nurse is on the premises, a nasal spray that is a legend drug or a controlled substance must be administered by the school nurse. If no school nurse is on the premises, a nasal spray that is a legend drug or a controlled substance may be administered by a trained school employee or parent-designated adult who is not a school nurse. The board of directors shall allow school personnel, who have received appropriate training and volunteered for such training, to administer a nasal spray that is a legend drug or a controlled substance. After a school employee who is not a school nurse administers a nasal spray that is a legend drug or a controlled substance, the employee shall summon emergency medical assistance as soon as practicable;
     (6) The medication is first examined by the employee administering the same to determine in his or her judgment that it appears to be in the original container and to be properly labeled; and
     (7) The board of directors shall designate a professional person licensed pursuant to chapter 18.71 RCW or chapter 18.79 RCW as it applies to registered nurses and advanced registered nurse practitioners, to delegate to, train, and supervise the designated school district personnel in proper medication procedures.
     (8)(a) For the purposes of this section, "parent-designated adult" means a volunteer, who may be a school district employee, who receives additional training from a health care professional or expert in epileptic seizure care selected by the parents, and who provides care for the child consistent with the individual health plan.
     (b) To be eligible to be a parent-designated adult, a school district employee not licensed under chapter 18.79 RCW must file, without coercion by the employer, a voluntary written, current, and unexpired letter of intent stating the employee's willingness to be a parent-designated adult. If a school employee who is not licensed under chapter 18.79 RCW chooses not to file a letter under this section, the employee shall not be subject to any employer reprisal or disciplinary action for refusing to file a letter.
     (9) The board of directors shall designate a professional person licensed under chapter 18.71, 18.57, or 18.79 RCW as it applies to registered nurses and advanced registered nurse practitioners, to consult and coordinate with the student's parents and health care provider, and train and supervise the appropriate school district personnel in proper procedures for care for students with epilepsy to ensure a safe, therapeutic learning environment. Training may also be provided by an epilepsy educator who is nationally certified. Parent-designated adults who are school employees are required to receive the training provided under this subsection. Parent-designated adults who are not school employees must show evidence of comparable training. The parent-designated adult must also receive additional training as established in subsection (8)(a) of this section for the additional care the parents have authorized the parent-designated adult to provide. The professional person designated under this subsection is not responsible for the supervision of the parent-designated adult for those procedures that are authorized by the parents.

Sec. 2   RCW 28A.210.270 and 2012 c 16 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) In the event a school employee administers oral medication, topical medication, eye drops, ((or)) ear drops, or nasal spray to a student pursuant to RCW 28A.210.260 in substantial compliance with the prescription of the student's licensed health professional prescribing within the scope of the professional's prescriptive authority or the written instructions provided pursuant to RCW 28A.210.260(4), and the other conditions set forth in RCW 28A.210.260 have been substantially complied with, then the employee, the employee's school district or school of employment, and the members of the governing board and chief administrator thereof shall not be liable in any criminal action or for civil damages in their individual or marital or governmental or corporate or other capacities as a result of the administration of the medication.
     (2) The administration of oral medication, topical medication, eye drops, ((or)) ear drops, or nasal spray to any student pursuant to RCW 28A.210.260 may be discontinued by a public school district or private school and the school district or school, its employees, its chief administrator, and members of its governing board shall not be liable in any criminal action or for civil damages in their governmental or corporate or individual or marital or other capacities as a result of the discontinuance of such administration: PROVIDED, That the chief administrator of the public school district or private school, or his or her designee, has first provided actual notice orally or in writing in advance of the date of discontinuance to a parent or legal guardian of the student or other person having legal control over the student.