House Passes Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Management Act
On April 8, 2008, the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Management Act of 2008 (FAAMA) was passed by the House of Representatives.
This important legislation was introduced in the House by Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY) as H.R. 2063. It calls for a uniform guidance document to be created for schools so that any school in the country looking for help in managing food allergies will have a place to turn.
In addition to Rep. Lowey’s strong support, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) was instrumental in securing House passage of the bill and spoke eloquently on the House floor about his own granddaughter’s allergy to peanuts.
“This is a wonderful first step to ensuring that the 2.2 million school-age children with food allergy are safe at school,” says Anne Muñoz-Furlong, founder and CEO of the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network. “We would like to thank Congress and, most of all, our members for all their help.”
Now that the bill has been passed by the House, it will be reviewed by the Senate HELP (Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions) Committee, who will consider the bill within the coming months. Known as S. 1232 in the Senate, this bill was introduced by Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) on April 26, 2007. If the HELP Committee approves the bill, then it will be presented to the full Senate, and with their agreement it would go to President Bush for final approval.
“We are looking forward to working with Sen. Dodd on the Senate bill and will continue to keep you posted,” says Muñoz-Furlong.
If passed, FAAMA will provide schools across the country with uniform guidance on how to create appropriate management and emergency plans for children with food allergies. The bill will direct the secretary of health and human services to develop a voluntary policy for schools to implement measures to prevent exposure to food allergens and to ensure a prompt response if a child suffers a potentially fatal anaphylactic reaction.
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