The disAbility Law Center of Virginia promotes and protects the rights of all Virginians with disabilities. The dLCV may educate policymakers about the impact of proposed legislation. Contact us at info@dLCV.org or at 1-800-552-3962 if there is a policy matter of concern to you that you feel we should be addressing.
A bill to provide care to students with diabetes was substantially gutted in a House Education subcommittee. HB 134, sponsored by Delegate Cole, would have allowed a child with diabetes and the child’s family to develop a detailed care and response plan for the school to administer in regards to the child’s diabetes. Although most school districts believed that they could comply with the bill at little or no additional expense (and Henrico County claimed that they already do comply with the bill), four school districts claimed that compliance would be costly. Spotsylvania County claimed that it would cost in excess of two million dollars to comply.
The bill was amended in committee, removing the most significant reforms. Instead, the bill as amended allows a child to carry their own response equipment and supplies and to monitor and respond to any diabetes related crisis on their own.