Concerns administration of ready-to-use undesignated glucagon rescue therapy in public schools.

A4548

ASSEMBLY, No. 4548

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED MARCH 10, 2026

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman� BRIAN BERGEN

District 26 (Morris and Passaic)

SYNOPSIS

���� Concerns administration of ready-to-use undesignated
glucagon rescue therapy in public schools.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act
concerning the administration of ready
-to-use
undesignated glucagon rescue therapy
in public
schools and supplementing chapter 40 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.

����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.� As used in this act:

���� �Health care professional�
means a physician, physician assistant, advanced practice nurse, or other
individual who is licensed or whose professional practice is otherwise
regulated pursuant to Title 45 of the Revised Statutes, other than a
pharmacist, and who, based upon the accepted scope of professional authority, authorizes
the provision of diabetes care.

���� �Individualized emergency
health care plan� means a document developed pursuant to section 3 of P.L.2009,
c.131 (C.18A:40-12.13) by the school nurse, in consultation with the parent or
guardian of a student with diabetes and other appropriate medical professionals,
which is consistent with the recommendations of the student�s health care
providers and which outlines a set of procedural guidelines that provide
specific directions about what to do in a particular emergency situation and is
signed by the parent or guardian and the school nurse.

���� "Ready-to-use
undesignated glucagon" means a glucagon rescue therapy approved by the
United States Food and Drug Administration that does not require reconstitution
for the treatment of severe hypoglycemia in a dosage form that can be rapidly administered
to the patient in an emergency, including pre-filled injectable or nasally
administered glucagon, prescribed in the name of a school district as provided
in section 2 of P.L.��� , c.��� (C.������� ) (pending before the Legislature as
this bill).

���� "School" means any
elementary or secondary public school located within this State.

���� "School employee"
means a person employed by a school district.

���� 2. a. � A school district
shall obtain a standing order of ready-to-use undesignated glucagon rescue
therapy, which shall be made available for administration by school employees
to students for potentially severe hypoglycemic reactions. Ready-to-use
undesignated glucagon prescriptions may be administered by a school employee to
a student when authorized in a student�s individualized emergency healthcare
plan developed pursuant to section 3 of P.L.2009, c.131 (C.18A:40-12.13).

���� b.� A school district shall
maintain for each school of the district in which a student with diabetes is
enrolled, a supply of ready-to-use undesignated glucagon that is obtained
pursuant to subsection a. of this section in a secure location that is immediately
accessible to school employees.� Any supply of ready-to-use undesignated
glucagon shall be maintained in accordance with the manufacturer's
instructions.� A school nurse or school employee designated to administer
glucagon pursuant to section 4 of P.L.2009, c.131 (C.18A:40-12.14) may
administer undesignated glucagon to a student if administration is permitted in
the student�s individualized emergency health care plan developed pursuant to
section 3 of P.L.2009, c.131 (C.18A:40-12.13) and the student�s prescribed
glucagon is not available on-site or has expired.

���� c.� Ready-to-use undesignated
glucagon may be administered to a student pursuant to this section in any
school building, facility, or school bus and offsite for field trips or similar
school activities as permitted in the student�s individualized emergency health
care plan developed pursuant to section 3 of P.L.2009, c. 131 (C.18A:40-12.13).

���� d.��� Immediately after the
administration of ready-to-use undesignated glucagon, a school employee shall
call 911 for emergency assistance and notify the school nurse, unless the
school nurse was the individual administering the undesignated glucagon, and
the student's parent or guardian was notified.

���� 3.� No school employee,
including a school nurse, a school bus driver, a school bus aide, or any other
officer or agent of a board of education, shall be held liable for any good
faith act or omission consistent with the provisions of section 2 of P.L.��� ,
c.��� (C.������� ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), nor shall an
action before the New Jersey State Board of Nursing lie against a school nurse
for any such action taken by a person trained in good faith by the school nurse
pursuant to this act. Good faith shall not include willful misconduct, gross
negligence, or recklessness.

���� 4.� The possession and use of
syringes consistent with the purposes of this act shall not be considered a
violation of applicable statutory or regulatory provisions that may otherwise
restrict or prohibit such possession and use.

���� 5.� This act shall take effect
immediately.

STATEMENT

���� This bill directs each school
district to obtain and properly maintain a standing order of ready-to-use
undesignated glucagon rescue therapy. This bill also directs authorized school
employees to administer the ready-to-use glucagon to a student experiencing
severe hypoglycemia.
� Ready-to-use glucagon rescue
therapy is used to treat someone experiencing severe hypoglycemia.� Hypoglycemia
occurs when a person experiences an abnormally low blood sugar level and is
categorized by level of severity, expressed as mild, moderate, or severe
hypoglycemia.� Failure to treat severe hypoglycemia can lead to
unconsciousness, seizures, critical brain damage, and possibly death.

���� �
In 2019, about 29 million Americans had diabetes; approximately 244,000 of them
were children and adolescents.� People with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes who are
treated with insulin are at the highest risk of experiencing a hypoglycemic
event.� Severe hypoglycemia is the most immediate danger to children with
diabetes.� Having a ready-to-use undesignated glucagon rescue therapy available
to school employees would provide treatment to a student experiencing severe
hypoglycemia.� This bill would create access to glucagon rescue therapies for
any student with diabetes while the student is in the care of school.�
�