NASHVILLE, Tenn. – (Clarksvillenow.com) Governor Bill Haslam held a ceremony on Thursday in Nashville marking the signing of two life-saving bills sponsored by Senator Mark Green (R-Clarksville). One new law establishes a Care Alert to help find missing persons with a physical or mental disability, while the other makes EpiPens more readily available in a wide variety of locations, including restaurants and recreational facilities, where a medical emergency is most likely to occur.
“Allergies to certain foods or insect bites can be severe and life threatening,” said Senator Green, who is a physician. “Restaurants are among the most likely places for an emergency to occur as food is generally the most common cause of anaphylaxis, a condition which can be deadly if not treated immediately. Wasp or bee stings are also common causes of anaphylaxis. EpiPens can deliver lifesaving medication safely before a tragedy occurs.”
The new statute defines the entities that voluntarily agree to receive the prescription as including but not limited to recreation camps, colleges, universities, places of worship, youth sports leagues, amusement parks, restaurants, places of employment and sports arenas. It also calls for one or more employees to be trained in how to properly use and store the injectors. The entity or person who uses the injector in response to an emergency is given immunity from liability when the medication is used in compliance with the law.
The bill is sponsored by Representative Sabi Kumar (R-Springfield) in the House of Representatives
The second bill establishes a “Care Alert” system that enables local law enforcement agencies to enter a report to the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and alert media outlets to promote the safe recovery of a missing person over the age of 18 with an intellectual, developmental or physical disability. The new law extends the definition of a missing person to include those over the age of 18 with an intellectual developmental or physical disability. Those under the age of 18 are already covered under the Amber Alert law in Tennessee.
“The system works like the Amber Alert for missing or endangered children and the Silver Alert for seniors with dementia or Alzheimers disease so we can concentrate our resources on bringing these vulnerable citizens home safely,” said Green.
The bill is sponsored by Representative Joe Pitts (D- Clarksville) in the House of Representatives.
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