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HB 4

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2025 Regular Session

Public schools must create Seizure Action Plans, train staff and volunteers, educate all personnel annually, and securely handle seizure meds to protect students with seizures.

Assigned Chapter Number 38
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Bill Summary · HB 4

HB 4 — “Sam’s Law” (Seizure Safe Schools Act of 2025) — Summary

Status: Passed (various committee actions reported); effective when enacted — provisions apply beginning with the 2025–2026 school year.
Introduced: Jan. 2025 (sponsored in North Carolina General Assembly).
Fiscal: $50,000 nonrecurring appropriation to the Department of Public Instruction to support State Board rule development and initial implementation.

Purpose

Sam’s Law requires public school systems to prepare for and respond to seizure-related medical events in school settings by (1) creating individualized seizure action plans for students with seizure disorders, (2) ensuring staff training and annual education on seizure recognition and response, and (3) establishing basic safeguards for medication handling and emergency response.

Key provisions

  • Seizure Action Plan (SAP)

    • Schools must keep a written, individualized Seizure Action Plan on file for any enrolled student diagnosed with a seizure disorder.
    • The plan is developed between the school unit and the student’s parent and is valid for one school year.
    • Minimum SAP components: provider statement (diagnosis, medication(s), dosage, administration method/frequency, triggers/ symptoms requiring medication), and parental authorization regarding administration by school personnel or trained volunteers.
    • Parent must provide at least one unopened, properly labeled dose of prescribed seizure medication if school staff are authorized to administer it. Medication is to be stored securely and accessible only to trained staff/volunteers.

  • Training and staffing

    • Each school unit must ensure at least one employee per school is trained to administer or assist with self‑administration of seizure medication consistent with training guidelines established by the Epilepsy Foundation of America (or successor).
    • Volunteers who supervise students with seizure disorders may attend the same training voluntarily.

  • Seizure education and awareness

    • Local school governing bodies must adopt an annual seizure education program for all personnel who have direct student contact (K–12). Required topics include medication administration instructions, seizure signs/symptoms, and appropriate immediate responses.
    • Principals, school counselors, and teachers must complete at least one hour of self‑study on seizure disorder materials each school year (materials selected by the school unit).
    • Schools must post an informational display on seizure first aid in at least one visible, high‑traffic area.

  • Governance and rulemaking

    • The State Board of Education must adopt rules implementing the statute; local boards of education must adopt policies consistent with the law.
    • The DPI receives $50,000 (nonrecurring) to assist the State Board with policy/rule development and start‑up implementation activities. The Board may share materials with UNC and nonpublic school divisions.

Who is affected

  • Primary: public school units, school administrators, teachers, school nurses, staff with direct student contact, and volunteers.
  • Beneficiaries: students diagnosed with seizure disorders and their families.
  • Secondary: school districts (implementation and training responsibilities) and DPI (rule development/technical assistance).

Implementation timeline and procedural notes

  • Applies beginning in the 2025–2026 school year.
  • State Board rulemaking is required; local boards must adopt corresponding policies.
  • Training standards reference Epilepsy Foundation guidance; school units are responsible for selecting materials and organizing training.

Potential impacts

  • Student safety: standardized plans and trained personnel should reduce risk during seizure events and improve timely care.
  • Operational: modest administrative burden on districts to develop policies, track SAPs, train staff, and maintain secure medication storage.
  • Fiscal: minimal ongoing cost expected; one-time $50,000 appropriation to support rule development and initial materials.

If you’d like, I can:
- Draft a one‑page checklist a school could use to implement the law;
- Extract the exact statutory text changes and cite the new G.S. sections referenced by the bill.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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