AUSTIN - Today, Senate Bill 66, authored by Senator Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa and relating to the use of epinephrine auto-injectors on public school and open-enrollment charter school campuses, passed out of the Senate and moves on to the House for consideration. The bill requires that unassigned epinephrine auto-injectors be available on all public school campuses and off-campus school events.

Epinephrine auto-injectors are the first-line of treatment against anaphylaxis, a severe and potentially life-threatening allergic reaction that is rapid in onset and highly unpredictable. Failure to recognize and treat anaphylaxis with epinephrine as soon as the reaction is identified is a major risk factor for fatality.

Senator Hinojosa issued the following statement:

"The safety and well-being of our students is of the utmost importance. SB 66 will ensure that our schools have the training and equipment necessary to care for them, and would require that each campus have one or more school personnel members authorized and trained to administer an epinephrine auto-injector present during all campus operating hours.

Food allergies are the most common cause of anaphylaxis among children. 1 in 13 children have food allergies and for 25% of Texas children, the first episode of food-related anaphylaxis occurs at school without a previous food allergy diagnosis. Today's vote is an important step in protecting our students from potentially life-threatening allergic reactions."

SB 66 was renamed the "Cameron Espinosa Act" in memory of Cameron Espinosa, a middle school student from Corpus Christi who died after having a severe allergic reaction to ant bites he sustained during a middle school football game. Number 66 was his football jersey number. His mother, Josephine Limon Espinosa, released the following statement:

"I am very grateful to Senator Hinojosa for this bill. I want to make sure what happened to my son does not happen to someone else's child since it is something that can easily be prevented."

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