H.R. 2151

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2151 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2151

To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to 
authorize a grant program to support students who have epilepsy or a 
seizure disorder.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

March 14, 2025

Mr. Norcross (for himself, Mr. Costa, and Mr. Fitzpatrick) introduced 
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education 
and Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to 
authorize a grant program to support students who have epilepsy or a 
seizure disorder.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Seizure Awareness and Preparedness 
Act''.

SEC. 2. GRANT PROGRAM TO SUPPORT STUDENTS WHO HAVE EPILEPSY OR A 
SEIZURE DISORDER.

(a) In General.--Title IV of the Elementary and Secondary Education 
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end 
the following:

``PART G--GRANT PROGRAM TO SUPPORT STUDENTS WHO HAVE EPILEPSY OR A 
SEIZURE DISORDER

``SEC. 4701. GRANT PROGRAM TO SUPPORT STUDENTS WHO HAVE EPILEPSY OR A 
SEIZURE DISORDER.

``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) Individualized emergency health care plan.--The term 
`individualized emergency health care plan' means a document 
developed by a student's health care provider, in consultation 
with the parent of a student with epilepsy or a seizure 
disorder, other appropriate medical professionals who may be 
providing epilepsy or seizure disorder care to the student, and 
the school nurse, 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 health care 
provider, the parent, and the school nurse.
``(2) Individualized health care plan.--The term 
`individualized health care plan' means a document developed by 
a student's health care provider, in consultation with the 
parent of a student with epilepsy or a seizure disorder, other 
appropriate medical professionals who may be providing epilepsy 
or seizure disorder care to the student, and the school nurse, 
which is consistent with the recommendations of the student's 
health care provider and which sets out the health services 
needed by the student at school and is signed by the health 
care provider, the parent, and the school nurse.
``(b) Authorization of Grant Program.--The Secretary shall award 
grants to States, on a competitive basis, to enable the States to award 
subgrants to local educational agencies to carry out a program that 
supports students with epilepsy and seizure disorders in schools.
``(c) Applications for Grants.--A State that desires to receive a 
grant under this section shall submit an application to the Secretary 
at such time, in such manner, and accompanied by such information as 
the Secretary may require.
``(d) Subgrants Authorized.--
``(1) In general.--A State that receives a grant under this 
section shall use the grant funds to award subgrants to local 
educational agencies to enable the local educational agencies 
to carry out a program that funds training of school personnel 
on seizure awareness and preparedness that covers 
individualized health care plans and individualized emergency 
health care plans for students who have epilepsy or a seizure 
disorder.
``(2) Applications for subgrants.--A local educational 
agency that desires to receive a subgrant under this subsection 
shall submit an application to the State at such time, in such 
manner, and accompanied by such information as the State may 
require.
``(3) Use of subgrant funds.--
``(A) In general.--
``(i) Required use.--A local educational 
agency that receives a subgrant under this 
subsection shall use the subgrant funds to 
carry out a program in the elementary schools 
and secondary schools served by such agency to 
fund training of school personnel on seizure 
awareness and preparedness that covers 
individualized health care plans and 
individualized emergency health care plans for 
students who have epilepsy or a seizure 
disorder.
``(ii) Permissive uses.--A local 
educational agency that receives a subgrant 
under this subsection may use the subgrant 
funds for--
``(I) training of school personnel 
to administer or assist with the 
administration of seizure medications;
``(II) training and education of 
students on seizure awareness and 
preparedness;
``(III) recruiting, hiring, and 
retaining dedicated compliance staff 
who are responsible for ensuring that 
all training and program requirements 
related to seizure awareness, 
preparedness, and management are 
consistently met; and
``(IV) other activities or programs 
determined appropriate by the 
Secretary.
``(B) Information included.--It is recommended that 
each individualized health care plan and each 
individualized emergency health care plan include the 
following information:
``(i) Written orders from the student's 
physician or advanced practice nurse outlining 
the epilepsy or seizure disorder care.
``(ii) The symptoms of the epilepsy or 
seizure disorder for that particular student 
and recommended care.
``(iii) Full participation in exercise and 
sports, and any contraindications to exercise, 
or accommodations that shall be made for that 
particular student.
``(iv) Accommodations for school trips, 
after-school activities, class parties, and 
other school-related activities.
``(v) Education of all school personnel 
about epilepsy and seizure disorders, how to 
recognize and provide care for epilepsy and 
seizure disorders, and when to call for 
assistance.
``(vi) Medical and treatment issues that 
may affect the educational process of the 
student with epilepsy or the seizure disorder.
``(vii) The student's ability to manage, 
and the student's level of understanding of, 
the student's epilepsy or seizure disorder.
``(viii) How to maintain communication with 
the student, the student's parent and health 
care team, the educational staff, and the 
school nurse.
``(C) Training required.--
``(i) In general.--Each local educational 
agency carrying out a program supported with 
subgrant funds shall ensure that the school 
nurse assigned to a particular elementary 
school or secondary school supported by the 
program--
``(I) coordinates the provision of 
epilepsy and seizure disorder care at 
such school; and
``(II) ensures that all staff are 
trained not less often than every 2 
years in the care of students with 
epilepsy and seizure disorders, 
including staff working with school-
sponsored programs outside of the 
regular school day, as provided in 
individualized health care plans and 
individualized emergency health care 
plans.
``(ii) Instruction.--The training required 
under clause (i) shall include a Department of 
Education-approved on-line or in-person course 
of instruction provided by 1 or more nonprofit 
national organizations that support the welfare 
of individuals with epilepsy and seizure 
disorders.
``(D) School bus drivers.--Each local educational 
agency carrying out a program supported with subgrant 
funds shall ensure that each school bus driver who 
transports a student with epilepsy or a seizure 
disorder receives notice of the student's condition, 
information on how to provide care for epilepsy or the 
seizure disorder, emergency contact information, 
epilepsy and seizure disorder recognition and first aid 
training, and parent contact information.
``(E) Release.--Each local educational agency 
carrying out a program supported with subgrant funds 
shall ensure that the school nurse assigned to a 
particular elementary school or secondary school 
supported by the program obtains a release from each 
parent of a student with epilepsy or a seizure disorder 
who requests an individualized health care plan or an 
individualized emergency health care plan, to authorize 
the sharing of medical information between the 
student's physician or advanced practice nurse and 
other health care providers.
``(F) No liability.--No school employee, including 
a school nurse, a school bus driver, a school bus aide, 
or any other officer or agent of a local educational 
agency, shall be held liable for any good faith act or 
omission consistent with the provisions of this 
section. Good faith shall not include willful 
misconduct, gross negligence, or recklessness.
``(e) Supplement; Not Supplant.--Grant and subgrant funds provided 
under this section shall be used to supplement, not supplant, other 
Federal or State funds available to carry out activities described in 
this section.
``(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $34,500,000 for the period of 
fiscal years 2026 through 2030.''.
(b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents in section 2 of the 
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 is amended by inserting 
after the item relating to section 4644 the following new items:

``Part G--Grant Program To Support Students Who Have Epilepsy or a 
Seizure Disorder

``Sec. 4701. Grant program to support students who have epilepsy or a 
seizure disorder.''.
<all>