H.R. 2151: Seizure Awareness and Preparedness Act

This bill, known as the Seizure Awareness and Preparedness Act, aims to support students with epilepsy or seizure disorders by amending the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. Here are the main features of the proposed legislation:

Grant Program Establishment

The bill establishes a grant program that will provide funding to states. These funds will be competitively awarded to local educational agencies to implement programs focused on supporting students who have epilepsy or seizure disorders.

Purpose of Grants

The grants will primarily be used for:

• Training school personnel on seizure awareness and preparedness.
• Creating individualized health care plans and individualized emergency health care plans for affected students.

Definitions

The legislation includes specific definitions relevant to the activities it aims to support:

• Individualized emergency health care plan: This is a document created with input from the student’s health care provider, their parents, other medical professionals, and the school nurse. It outlines how to respond in case of a medical emergency related to seizures.
• Individualized health care plan: Similar to the emergency plan, this document details the ongoing health services a student needs at school and is developed similarly with input from the relevant parties.

Application Process

States wishing to receive grants must submit an application to the Secretary of Education, including the necessary information as required.

Subgrant Distribution

Once a state receives a grant, it must distribute subgrants to local educational agencies. These subgrants will fund training programs for school personnel on:

• Creating and implementing individualized health care plans.
• Administering seizure medications.
• Educating students and staff on seizure awareness and preparedness.

Training Requirements

Local educational agencies that receive funding must ensure that:

• School nurses coordinate care related to epilepsy and associated disorders.
• All staff are trained at least every two years on dealing with these conditions.
• School bus drivers receive specific training regarding the needs of students with seizure disorders.

Liability Protections

The bill includes provisions that protect school employees from liability when acting in good faith consistent with the training and guidelines provided under this program.

Funding Details

The bill authorizes a total of $34.5 million for the grant program to be disbursed over five fiscal years, from 2026 through 2030.

Supplementary Funding

Funds provided through this program must be used to enhance existing programs and cannot replace other federal or state funding sources already in place for these activities.

Relevant Companies

None found