SB52 Alabama 2023 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Arthur OrrSenator

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2023

Title

Relating to the Alabama Safe at Schools Act; to add Section 16-30A-3.1 to the Code of Alabama 1975 and to amend Sections 16-30A-5 and 16-30A-7, Code of Alabama 1975; to include adrenal insufficiency as a condition for which the State Board of Education is required to develop guidelines to train school employees under the act; to authorize certain school employees to administer injectable medications to students with an adrenal insufficiency; and to require local boards of education to ensure that students with an adrenal insufficiency have their medical needs met and are not excluded from certain activities.

Summary

SB52 expands the Alabama Safe at Schools Act to cover adrenal insufficiency by allowing trained staff to administer injectable medications to affected students and ensuring those students can participate in all school activities without being excluded.

What This Bill Does

It adds adrenal insufficiency as a condition requiring staff training and allows certain school employees to administer injectable medications to affected students under the student’s health plan. The State Board of Education, with the Alabama Board of Nursing, must develop training guidelines by the 2024-2025 school year, focusing on care for adrenal insufficiency and medications specific to it. Local boards must ensure training for school nurses and unlicensed medication assistants and provide on-site care for affected students during regular hours, field trips, and school activities. The bill protects staff from coercion or penalties for choosing not to serve as medication assistants, requires parent orders for inclusion in the health plan, and allows private K-12 schools to provide similar training.

Who It Affects

• Students with adrenal insufficiency will receive care as specified in their Individual Health Plans and may participate in school and extracurricular activities without being excluded due to their condition.
• School staff including nurses and trained unlicensed medication assistants, as well as local boards of education and school administrators, who must receive training and follow guidelines to care for students with adrenal insufficiency; parents/guardians also participate by providing orders and health information.

Key Provisions

• Adds adrenal insufficiency to the conditions for which guidelines and training are required under the Alabama Safe at Schools Act, including a definition of adrenal insufficiency.
• Requires the State Board of Education, with the Alabama Board of Nursing, to develop guidelines by the 2024-2025 school year for training school employees to care for students with adrenal insufficiency; guidelines focus on injectable medications and align with medical guidelines such as those from the American Academy of Pediatrics.
• Local boards must ensure adrenal insufficiency training is provided to all school nurses and unlicensed medication assistants and allow lead nurses to place staff at schools based on individual health plans.
• Requires on-site care for students with adrenal insufficiency (and diabetes) during regular hours, before/after school programs, field trips, extracurricular activities, and bus transport when the driver is not trained.
• Protects staff from being required to serve as unlicensed medication assistants and from employment penalties based on their choice; parents must submit orders and information to be considered in the student’s health plan; private K-12 schools may provide training under this act.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 22, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.