Press Release ● Health Care
For Immediate Release: 
December 17, 2020
Contact Info: 
Annaliese Davis 202-225-3130
WASHINGTON, DC -  House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05) and Congressman Dr. Phil Roe (TN-01) praised the Senate for passing H.R. 2468, the School-Based Allergies and Asthma Management Program Act, their legislation to encourage schools to implement management plans to help students identify and control their asthma and allergies and reduce absenteeism. H.R. 2468 now heads to the President’s desk to be signed into law.

“I’m pleased that the Senate passed our bipartisan bill to ensure schools have adequate plans in place to help students control their asthma and allergies,” said Leader Hoyer. “Dr. Roe and I have worked for many years to address this important issue. In 2013, we worked to enact the School Access to Emergency Epinephrine Act to help schools make available emergency epinephrine to students experiencing severe allergic reactions at school. The School-Based Allergies and Asthma Management Program Act will build on this legislation and provide peace of mind to students and parents that their school is equipped to help in an emergency. This legislation will help ensure students can focus on learning and reduce absenteeism. I’m glad that the Senate passed our bill, and I look forward to the President signing it into law without delay.”

“I’m proud to work across the aisle with my friend and colleague, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, on this important issue,” said Rep. Roe. “In the U.S. there are about six million children under 18 who have been diagnosed with asthma. It is critical our schools are prepared to understand and address this condition to maintain student safety. The School-Based Allergies and Asthma Management Program Act will help school personnel and parents ensure students with asthma and other allergies adequately manage their condition so they can focus on their education with peace of mind. I look forward to President Trump signing this important bill into law.”

The Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services recommend that schools develop and maintain comprehensive management plans to support children with lower airway disorders, such as asthma, and help control their disorders while in school. Most schools, unfortunately, do not maintain such plans and are ill prepared for emergencies. These plans will not only improve children’s health, but they will also ensure that students are able to focus on learning while in school. More than six million children in America suffer from asthma, one of the leading causes of school absenteeism, with an estimated 14 million days of school missed each year, according to the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program. The School-Based Allergies and Asthma Management Program Act has been endorsed by the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, the Allergy and Asthma Network, and the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology.