Zacky and his mother, Priscilla Hernandez, who live in Lower Hastings Ranch, both helped author AB 2640, known as the Zacky Bill, that was signed into law by Governor Newsom in 2022.
The law prompted the creation of a state resource guide with the most available and comprehensive information regarding food allergy resources, current laws and methods to identify ingredients. It is mandated to be available on the CA Department Education website.
‘This is really about creating awareness for other allergic students like Zacky,” said Hernandez.
The site is set to launch in the upcoming months.
The new Munoz Student Allergy Framework for Emergencies (SAFE) Act – AB 1651, also inspired and initiated by Zacky, was presented by Assemblymember Kate Sanchez and is pending before the California Senate Education Committee.
The bill would help reduce the likelihood of lethal allergic reactions on school campuses by ensuring that the location and use of on-campus epinephrine auto-injectors (EAIs) are known and accessible to school staff.
The Munoz SAFE Act will help better protect students with food allergies on campus by requiring epinephrine on campus to be located in an accessible location for emergencies, and not locked up, permits those with Activity Supervisor Clearance certificates to be designated by a school to receive training, and be able to administer epinephrine in emergency and will ensure a physical copy of helpful instructional materials near the site of the epinephrine.
“I am thrilled to be part of the change and inclusion of kids who suffer from food allergies, like me,” said Zacky. “The best tool to combat food allergies is your voice. Being able to be part of the change to make things safer is what I am most proud of. It makes a difference. Your voice can make a big difference in the world.”
According to the Food Allergy Research Education (FARE) organization, as many as 32 million Americans suffer from life threatening allergies. This accounts for a 377% increase in the diagnosis of anaphylactic food reactions between 2007 and 2016. Of this population, 1 in 13 are children who rely on parents, caregivers, teachers, and school administrators to keep them safe while at school.
Anaphylaxis is a potentially lethal allergic reaction.
It can happen when a person is stung by a bee, ingests food such as shellfish or nuts, or even comes in contact with specific materials like latex. Epinephrine is the first line of treatment for someone who is experiencing anaphylaxis. Without prompt use of an auto-injector, allergic reactions can be severe, and even fatal. Unfortunately, the prompt use of EAIs prior to professional medical care is not as common as it should be.
Currently, California requires school districts to “provide emergency epinephrine auto-injectors to school nurses or trained personnel” to ensure that schools have the tools they need to intervene in anaphylaxis.
However, many schools do not have full time nurses or other personnel authorized to administer EAIs during school hours and after school programming.
More information is available at http://www.munozsafeact.com
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