[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 298 Introduced in House (IH)]







107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 298

  Expressing the sense of the Congress that State and local officials 
 should designate school nurses as ``first responders'' and remove any 
   legal or regulatory barriers that would impede school nurses from 
             responding to a biological or chemical attack.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           December 20, 2001

  Mr. Israel submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 
            referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
  Expressing the sense of the Congress that State and local officials 
 should designate school nurses as ``first responders'' and remove any 
   legal or regulatory barriers that would impede school nurses from 
             responding to a biological or chemical attack.

Whereas there are more than 47,000 nurses in the Nation's elementary and 
        secondary schools;
Whereas some children spend up to 10 hours in school each day;
Whereas school children and teachers work in close proximity to other people, 
        quickening the spread of airborne diseases;
Whereas school nurses are the only professional health care providers in many 
        schools;
Whereas if a child becomes sick or arrives at school sick, a school nurse is 
        often the first medical professional to see, diagnose, and treat the 
        child;
Whereas in a biological or chemical attack on the United States, school nurses 
        would be among the first medical professionals to respond, would put 
        themselves at risk, and would be responsible even for the children and 
        teachers not subject to the attack; and
Whereas school children, including a large number of mainstreamed children with 
        disabilities, may be more vulnerable to biological or chemical attack, 
        and therefore show symptoms sooner than the general population: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That it is the sense of the Congress that, in response to the terrorist 
attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001, State and local 
officials should--
            (1) designate school nurses as ``first responders'', 
        conferring upon them all rights and responsibilities such 
        status implies in a particular State or locality; and
            (2) remove any legal or regulatory barriers that would 
        impede school nurses from doing everything within medical 
        guidelines for responding to a biological or chemical attack.
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