I am a Virginia resident and the mother of a six-year-old with Type 1 diabetes who is in kindergarten. Type 1 diabetes can change within minutes and become life threatening if not properly monitored and treated. Each day I send my child to school, I trust that trained adults are prepared to recognize and respond to a medical emergency. I strongly support SB122 because it establishes clear standards for diabetes care in schools and ensures students can safely participate in classroom and school activities. This bill will reduce health risks, support academic success, and provide peace of mind for families like mine.

I am writing to ask for your support of SB 122 as the parent of a 13-year-old son with Type 1 Diabetes. He was diagnosed at age nine after what was one of the most frightening experiences of our lives. We did not know what was wrong. He had lost more than eight pounds, was severely dehydrated, and was ultimately admitted to the hospital. We learned very quickly how serious and fast-moving Type 1 diabetes can be. Since then, managing his condition has required constant vigilance. Blood sugar levels can shift rapidly during the school day due to stress, activity, growth, or even a routine schedule change. When a low or high occurs, waiting is not an option. SB 122 would allow trained school personnel--not only a school nurse--to assist students with insulin, glucagon, and diabetes devices when parents and physicians authorize it. In real life, nurses are not always immediately available, especially during field trips, extracurricular activities, or in schools without full-time coverage. Having properly trained staff available could mean the difference between a manageable episode and a medical emergency. This bill would also ensure consistent diabetes care policies across school divisions and recognize the reality of modern diabetes technology that many children rely on daily. Children like my son already shoulder enormous responsibility just to get through the day safely. They deserve a school environment that supports them, protects them, and allows them to fully participate without unnecessary risk. I respectfully urge you to support SB 122.

Please support this crucial bill for children living with diabetes.

I respectfully urge your support of SB122 in order to protect the doctor/patient relationship, prevent gaps in care, and align VA Code with today’s insulin pump technology.

SB122 supports families, protects students, and gives schools clear guidance on providing medically necessary diabetes care. Every child deserves to learn in a safe environment. I encourage you to vote yes.

Please pass this bill for the kids we love!

This bill would help children getting them help faster .

As a registered nurse in the state of Virginia, I understand the importance of keeping kids with T1D safe in school. Please pass this bill to show that you value the health and safety of these vulnerable kids. It’s quite literally a matter of life or death for them!

Sb122 mcpike

I ask that you please support SB 122. We can do better for our children with diabetes in school, and this bill is a good start. Thank you, Elizabeth Harvey

Please support this bill to provide safe and consistent care to students with Type 1 diabetes across our commonwealth.

We need this for all the TD1 children and parents.

When it comes to school, families of children with diabetes often run into unexpected roadblocks. A doctor can write clear medical orders, but sometimes schools say certain accommodations don’t align with policy. When that happens, it can place schools out of step with federal disability rights laws designed to protect these students. Virginia’s school health code hasn’t been meaningfully updated in nearly 30 years — long before insulin pumps, continuous glucose monitors, and automated insulin delivery systems became standard care. SB122 simply modernizes the law to reflect today’s technology and clinical standards. It creates clarity for schools and families and helps ensure students with diabetes are supported consistently across the Commonwealth. This is about alignment, clarity, and making sure every child is safe and included. Please support SB122.

As a parent of a 7-year-old in Arlington County, Virginia, who relies 100% on nursing staff to manage his diabetes care while at school, I am writing to support the SB122 bill. All students across Virginia should receive consistent diabetes care that their doctor prescribes using the proactive approach with the current diabetes standards of care and technology. This bill will ensure that students (and their parents!) across Virginia feel safe and supported with their T1D management at school.

Children with diabetes should feel safe at school. Their parents should feel safe sending them. It is so easy to manage if you allow the technology. No child in kindergarten should be left to manage their numbers alone.

please support this bill to keep all children with type 1 diabetes safe in schools in our Commonwealth.

Our schools need a system that protects and empowers nurses to use modern diabetes tools and provide consistent support to children who depend on them. The technology is there. The data is there. What is missing are the clear rights, protections, and expectations that allow school nurses to safely monitor glucose data and intervene when a child needs help. HB1301 is a win-win for everyone.

Please support this bill to provide safe and consistent care to students with Type 1 diabetes across our commonwealth. I personal know two students (one in 1st grade and the other in 7th grade) who will greatly benefit from this bill passing.

I am writing in support of SB122 addressing standardized state-wide care for students with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D). Advances in detecting and treating insulin levels have greatly expanded in the past 30 years, but individual school policies in the treatment of children with T1D has not been consistently updated throughout Virginia. Whichever school or school system children are attending, all deserve to be as safe as possible during their school day so they can achieve their best educational experience. For this, they need the support from their educational system. Treatment of T1D in the 21st Century is easier, safer and more exact than treatment in the 1900’s and is not something to be feared or dismissed as too difficult or complicated. Insulin pumps have revolutionized the treatment of T1D and may only require minimal intervention on occasion. Not only is this safer for the child, but easier for someone other than the child to intervene, if needed. Most, if not all, children with T1D learn to independently manage their own equipment, but there may be times when additional assistance is required. Failure of educational staff to intervene if needed could threaten the life of a child. Twenty-six years into the new century, when greatly improved treatment for T1D has been well established for many years, it’s past time to update all school policies addressing the treatment of T1D and make them consistent for across all of Virginia’s schools. I enthusiastically support passage of SB122 and encourage our State Senate to do the same.

I taught Ruston Revell in kindergarten and was instrumental in his daily diabetes management. This bill will provide the same level of care to ALL students with diabetes!

Please support this bill to provide safe and consistent care to students with Type 1 diabetes across our commonwealth.

As a mother of a 7 year old type one diabetic in our commonwealth, I urge you to support this bill. Diabetic children deserve to feel safe at school and their parents deserve to feel safe sending them.

Virginia friends… we need your help!! As many of you know, Ruston and I have been in Richmond frequently to assist with a diabetes management in schools bill. Virginia Code hasn’t been updated since 1999. It’s time to align school policy with modern technologies and current standards of care. 🚨 SB122 has passed the Senate and is now before the House, where it will move through the committee process again. We urgently need your support.

Children with diabetes deserve to be supported in their school environments. Please update Virginia’s policies by passing bill SB122.

I strongly encourage the consideration of passing bill SB112. This bill allows support and resources within schools on diabetes- this should be a requirement to insure good health and best safety practices for all children with diabetes. Thank you

I support this bill

Please update the policy so it better helps children with diabetes

As a mother of a Type 1 Diabetic student, I urge you to update the diabetes policies in school. The updates benefit everyone involved. Parents can trust the school system with their children, the teachers can concentrate on teaching, the students can feel safe and cared for and focus on learning and the nurses can keep an eye on their student with a quick glance at a computer or hear an alarm. The last year we have been using updated policies and it has been wonderful. I hope that all Type 1 students can receive the care they deserve.

It is important to support children with diabetes in all areas of school life. It is just as important to have a plan for inclusiveness for children with diabetes as it is for children with a nut allergy.

Today’s technology has made great strides to improving diabetes health, particularly with insulin-dependents. Our youth in Virginia must have 24hr access to the diabetes care and technology that is prescribed by their doctors.

SB122 ensures that students in Virginia receive the diabetes care their doctor prescribes so they can safely participate in school using today's diabetes management and technology. My niece shouldn’t have to worry about monitoring her blood glucose put technology in place to assist these children so they can feel supported

SB 122 ensures that students in Virginia receive the diabetes care their doctor prescribes so they can safely participate in school using today's diabetes management and technology. My daughter and all TD1 children need this so they can enjoy school without added pressure.

SB122 ensures that students in Virginia receive the diabetes care their doctor prescribes so they can safely participate in school using today's diabetes management and technology.

Diabetes is a serious issue, I feel more attention should be given to our youth fighting this condition.

Please support SB122 to make it easier for children with diabetes to get the help they need in school. Especially the younger kids that can't deal with diabetes by themselves. Thanks

I so support the bill !! Let’s make a difference for our future children and parents .

I am a senior in Fairfax County Public Schools, and since my Type 1 diabetes diagnosis, advocacy has become a major part of my life. I care deeply about using my voice to support others and help create meaningful change. I also always carry low snacks like gushers and juice boxes in my bag — because preparation matters. I support SB122 because this bill is about keeping students safe and alive at school. I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes during the last school year. I was diagnosed on a Friday and returned to school that Monday — terrified, overwhelmed, and still learning how to manage insulin, blood sugar levels, and new technology. My school, despite having other students with diabetes, was just as unprepared. We were all trying to figure it out in real time. Guessing with a life-threatening medical condition is not acceptable. The current law guiding diabetes care in schools is 27 years old and does not reflect modern diabetes technology like insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitors. Even trained school staff are limited in how they can help with essential tasks such as pump changes. When quick action is needed, delays can be dangerous. No student should have to choose between their health and their education. SB122 ensures students receive the care their doctors prescribe so they can safely participate in school with dignity and confidence. Thank you for considering my support of SB122.

This bill is essential for the management of TD1 management in schools . My daughter is 10 years old, going to the clinic multiple times per day missing education time . The exhaustion as a mother watching numbers all day long and when the wifi doesn’t work properly the mental effects of hoping your child is going to hear the alarm of a low . Equipping schools with technology to help ease parents of children with Type 1 diabetes should be apart of the procedures to ensure safely of these children .

Voting anything other than “yes” leaves so many children in a very dangerous situation, and there’s absolutely no reason why we can’t make this happen. Please do the right thing and vote yes!

It is vital to pass updates to this old bill in regards to students' diabetes care. Science, medicine and technology have evolved significantly in the last 30 years and in order to provide appropriate care in the school setting, the law must follow suit and be updated. Children must be allowed the technology that keeps them healthy, safe and alive without parents needing to battle administration and school officials. Pumps, phones etc allow school nurses and parents to monitor children's health remotely and not disturb instruction. Allowing trained school nurses or other trained staff to administer insulin or administer pump or glucometer changes is another vital part to diabetes care in the school setting. As a mother of a T1D child, having the proper laws to support us in the school setting and to allow the administration to assist in my son's care has been absolutely detrimental. T1D is a life threatening auto immune disease and it is a full time job to manage. As a working mother, I must be able to rely on school staff in order to be able to do my job successfully. Furthermore, being able to see his blood glucose levels in real time provides peace of mind and has also saved him multiple times when school nurse was unavailable or unaware of an oncoming low. Thank you for your consideration in this matter!

I urge passing SB122. It is time to bring diabetes care into the 21 century. Modern medicine has eclipsed methods of testing and monitoring diabetes levels. This bill would be a Hugh advancement in the monitoring and care of the most vulnerable, the children. I urge you to pass this bill.

Students living with diabetes, including Type 1 diabetes and Type 2 diabetes, manage a serious medical condition every single day while trying to focus on school. Without a clear, division-wide plan, inconsistent practices can put their health and safety at real risk. Recognizing diabetes and providing the necessary accommodations isn’t optional, it’s essential to ensure every student has a safe and fair chance to learn.

In 2018, when I was 12 years old, I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes while attending public school. When my parents and I brought my Diabetes Medical Management Plan (DMMP) to the school nurse, my school did not want to comply. I was even told that managing my own condition in the classroom would make me a “distraction.” It quickly became clear that the school was relying on outdated practices and was not familiar with current standards of care or the laws governing diabetes management in schools. My parents and I held an educational meeting with school staff, and only then did the school come to understand both the legal requirements and the medical realities of type 1 diabetes. My experience shows that schools—and even the organizations that help shape school policy—do not always know the best practices or the laws they are required to follow. The current code is 27 years old. It is outdated, inconsistent, and does not reflect today’s standards of care. Trained school employees, not just nurses, are already lawfully allowed to administer insulin with a syringe and vial. Insertion or reinsertion of an insulin pump is no different. Students across the Commonwealth deserve reliable, lawful, and consistent support, no matter which district they attend. I’m now an adult. No child should ever be told by a school that managing their medical condition is a “distraction.” Please support SB122.

As the grandparent of a middle school aged Type 1 Diabetic, I urge you to support SB122. This bill will update outdated language and include definitions to better suit the changing technology that most T1Ds use, allowing them to stay safer in schools. The bill simply allows willing and trained school staff to insert insulin pumps, which is as simple as attaching a sticker and following along with simple guide on a phone app. This is a much safer alternative to having to fall back on manual injections of insulin, which has no safeguards in place for over dosing amounts that could be lethal. When the school does not allow trained and willing staff to replace pumps, it requires parents to leave work to go to the school to apply something that takes less than 5 minutes. My daughter's job not always flexible and the school is 45 minutes away from her office. Imagine when a parent has less flexibility, and the impossible choice between losing a job by leaving to take care of their child, or staying at work and risking their child's health and perhaps their life. When a pump-wearing type 1 diabetic’s pump fails, they have NO baseline insulin on board, which means they can reach CRITICALLY HIGH blood sugar levels in a few hours. I appreciate your consideration and support of this bill, which will allow Type 1 Diabetic children a safer day at school, will allow fewer distractions, and provide them a chance to focus on learning instead of worrying about their health.

SB122 ensures that students in Virginia receive the diabetes care their doctor prescribes so they can safely participate in school using today’s diabetes management and technology.

I'm asking that you consider to pass this Bill on behalf of our students staff and parents/ caregiver. They need this service and help specially while our babies are in school. I work in a school system where I have seen my children this school starting at Kindergarten with being a TD1 diabetic and the school has to come together as a unit to be prepared for any situation. Just had 5th grade go out on break and became ill and found out she a diabetic who need care during school hours. It will so helpful and put parent at ease that while there child is at school Will receive the proper care. Please pass this bill but also encourage other school districts as well. Our children are our future and they shouldn't have to suffer if they get the help will learning in school.

All people, especially children, deserve the best care possible to make their every day lives normal. When in school and away from their parents they should be confident they will get the care they need to keep them alive. Yes, it could be that serious. Please help them!

Please allow any and all necessary medications for children with diabetes so they can safely participate in all school activities. Disability should not sideline you in any way. Thank you for your time on this matter. Please vote yes

Please pass this important bill

I support SB122 because students with Type 1 diabetes deserve safe access to the care their doctor prescribes during the school day. Modern diabetes technology helps keep kids safe, focused, and able to fully participate in school activities. Please vote yes on SB122.

Diabetes care delivered in school should follow a medical order developed by the student’s doctor in collaboration with the parent. SB122 preserves the doctor-patient relationship by ensuring that prescribed care is implemented as written and is not subjected to independent clinical judgment by school employees or to additional parameters or restrictions that could delay, alter, or deny the student’s access to medical care. The bill also reinforces a school board’s authority over staffing and school operations by allowing schools to determine which trained and designated employees will carry out the care outlined in the medical order. Virginia law has required since 1999 that in schools of a certain size, at least one additional employee, in addition to a nurse if the school has one, be trained to administer insulin and glucagon pursuant to prescriber authorization and parental consent, and when a nurse is unavailable, and it is usually a member of the administrative team. SB122 does not create that requirement, it ensures that this trained and authorized school employee may also assist with a student’s insulin pump when willing, trained in advance and familiar with a student’s specific device, and acting under the student’s prescriber-authorized diabetes management plan. In many schools, a nurse is responsible for hundreds, if not thousands, of students and multiple medical needs. Nurses are often pulled into emergencies or meetings, may cover more than one building, and are sometimes absent, and approximately 9% of Virginia schools, primarily in Loudoun and Fairfax Counties, do not have a full-time nurse assigned. This bill is not about whether a nurse should be in every school. Diabetes care is a team effort, and even when there is a nurse assigned to a school, those nurses need other trained employees to support them so students with diabetes receive consistent and timely care throughout the school day. If a trained school employee can safely administer insulin by injection under existing law, then supporting a student’s use of a modern insulin pump, which uses automated dosing algorithms and reduces human error, is medically safer. Insulin pump insertion and use are not performed in a clinical setting and are not medical procedures. These devices are FDA-approved for patient and caregiver use and are routinely inserted and managed by unlicensed individuals, including parents, relatives, babysitters, and patients themselves after being shown how to use the device. Supporting pump use in school simply reflects how this technology is safely used every day outside of a hospital or clinic. SB122 prevents gaps in care, protects the doctor-patient relationship, and aligns Virginia Code with today’s diabetes care. I respectfully urge you to support SB122.

I endorse this provision for school children.

I support SB122 because students with Type 1 diabetes deserve safe access to the care their doctor prescribes during the school day. Modern diabetes technology helps keep kids safe, focused, and able to fully participate in school activities. Please vote yes on SB122.

Kids deserve to get the support they need in school and not be penalized for there health condition.

I am a recently retired elementary school teacher. I worked in a district that did not have a licensed nurse on staff. I have had students with type 1 diabetes in my classroom. I also have friends who have type 1 diabetic family members. As a teacher, I feel that these students need safe and consistent care in order to maintain a positive learning environment. It would not be disruptive to my day as a teacher to assist a young child with their diabetes management, including inserting or reinserting an insulin pump. That is what most children use as it it is today’s standard of care. You don’t need to be a licensed medical professional to assist with this technology, you just need to be trained by the parent with a prescriber’s recommendation. It’s already law that unlicensed school board employees can perform diabetes management tasks. Pump insertion is no different and it should not be prohibited. Syringes and vials aren’t as precise as insulin pumps and most children find getting stuck by needles uncomfortable. Then there’s the question of how much insulin to give. The amount is already precalculated with a pump. Please support this bill. 27 years later, it’s time we do what is right for these students and update the code. Once the law is changed, schools will adapt as they always have with other medical issues.

I am a long time bus driver for Chesapeake Public Schools. The district has never offered training on diabetes related care, nor am I notified when I have a type 1 diabetic student on my bus. I know this bill does not include bus driver policy, but hopefully one day there will be a bill that will. This bill is important to me because I have friends and family members diagnosed with this lifelong disease and knowing the complications that can quickly arise, I think we need to do more for these students. I urge you to please support this bill and bring the current code up to date with modern standards of care. This is a disease where time is of the essence and providing care should not be seen as disruption to the school day. Inserting or reinserting an insulin pump should become part of school policy if an employee is willing and the parent and prescriber agree. It is already law that non licensed staff can provide diabetes management tasks, to include insulin injections. Pumps are now the current standard of care for most and safer and more precise than syringes and vials. School boards should not be prohibiting doctor recommend care. Schools have learned to adapt to provide care for other medical conditions. Please support SB122.

I support SB122 because students with Type 1 diabetes deserve safe access to the care their doctor prescribes during the school day. Modern diabetes technology helps keep kids safe, focused, and able to fully participate in school activities. Please vote yes on SB122.

This legislation is deeply personal to me. My niece is living with diabetes, and like thousands of children across Virginia, her safety during the school day depends on whether trained adults are prepared to respond to her medical needs. Diabetes does not pause during school hours — and neither should the protections that keep students safe, healthy, and ready to learn. Without clear, consistent plans in place across school divisions, students with diabetes face: • Delays in receiving life-saving care • Unsafe blood sugar fluctuations during the school day • Exclusion from activities due to lack of trained staff • Increased anxiety for families who must trust schools with their child’s medical needs A division-wide diabetes care plan ensures: • Trained staff available to respond to emergencies • Safe monitoring of blood glucose and insulin administration • Full participation in academic and extracurricular activities • Peace of mind for families who deserve to know their children are protected This bill is not just about policy — it is about equity, safety, and dignity for students managing a chronic condition. No child should be put at risk simply for attending school. As someone who cares deeply about the well-being of children and families, I respectfully ask you to vote in favor of this bill and help ensure that every student with diabetes in Virginia has the support they need to thrive. Thank you for your time and your commitment to protecting Virginia’s students. Sincerely, Damon Watson

As the parent of a middle school aged Type 1 Diabetic, I urge you to support SB122. This bill will update outdated language and include definitions to better suit the changing technology that most T1Ds use, allowing them to stay safer in schools. The bill simply allows willing and trained school staff to insert insulin pumps, which is as simple as attaching a sticker and following along with simple guide on a phone app. This is a much safer alternative to having to fall back on manual injections of insulin, which has no safeguards in place for over dosing amounts that could be lethal. When the school does not allow trained and willing staff to replace pumps, it requires parents to leave work to go to the school to apply something that takes less than 5 minutes. While my job can be flexible, often it is not and this is a major disruption when the school is 45 minutes away from my job. Imagine when a parent has less flexibility, and the impossible choice between losing a job by leaving to take care of their child or staying and risking their health. When a pump wearing type 1 diabetic’s pump fails, they have no baseline insulin on board which means they can reach critically high blood sugar levels in a few hours. I appreciate your consideration and support of this bill, which will allow Type 1 Diabetics a safer day at school, to allow less distractions and provide them a chance to focus on learning instead of worrying about their health.

As a parent with two children with T1D I spend an inordinate amount of time coming to school to help with my kids’s diabetic equipment. This bill would allow school nurses to help do more in the process. It’s a no brainer. This gets my kids back to class quicker and allows me and my husband to actually do our jobs. Please help make managing diabetes easier by passing this bill.

Syringes and vials aren’t as precise as insulin pumps and most children find getting stuck by needles uncomfortable. Then there’s the question of how much insulin to give. The amount is already precalculated with a pump. Please support this bill. 27 years later, it’s time we do what is right for these students and update the code. Once the law is changed, schools will adapt as they always have with other medical issues.

Alll kids needs help at school for all kind of health issues

We must support our children and all of their needs! Care for our diabetic children is a necessity and will help them learn and grow with everyone else.

As a diabetes educator and a mother and grandmother of children with T1D, I support this bill. Kid with T1D have enough to worry about than not getting the care they REQUIRE while in school. Please help pass this bill to protect our children with T1D.

I support this bill because my 12 yea told son was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes 3 years ago and I believe children facing what he does everyday need to be taken care of thy should be able to go to school without their parents being in fear they arnt being taken care of.

I support this for all T1D kids that need life saving support and management in public schools. We should all care about the management and needs of these children. It’s not a choice, they can’t survive without daily management of their disease. They deserve to be able to attend school everyday as well as have their care managed while they are there.

My Grandson Leo is 8 and has TYPE 1 diabetes. My daughter Lauren fought hard with the school board in Chantilly Virginia school District to get them to follow Federal law for this and the school system finally embraced it. It is such a simple and logical way for school nurses to get alerts on a ID or laptop when his A1C has gone dangerously high or low and becoming a life-threatening event! His life at school has been saved many times! I urge you to pass this bill to help in saving other lives of those in Scholl with T1D! Small cost for an Apple ID or laptop at each school, simple training and nurses love it!

As both an educator and current school board representative, I support this bill. It ensures that students with diabetes will be fully supported while in school.

I am a Grandmother of a Type 1 student at Hutchison Elementary in Chantilly , VA. I know the constant feedback between the one nurse and my grandson’s parents is a daily routine and sometimes hinders the flow of my grandson’s education . Please pass the bill SB122 so that our parents, students and , nurses have the appropriate trained staff and up to date equipment such as IPads for each student to monitor each Type 1 student . Please pass SB122 so Type 1 kids, like my grandson, can experience a positive and uninterrupted education . Thank you . M. Bradshaw #LEOTHEBRAVE

This law should include holding school members accountable. A principale and a trained /certified diabetic staff told me that they wont simply provide emergency procedures to my child at public school in case of diabetic emergency . Nurses and school staff should not contact student doctors and lie to them about how much insulin to carb ratio simply because they want the student blood sugar high so they can relax and avoid monitoring it. I fought for my child and I was able to provide monitoring devices to nurse and teacher. However they refused to monitor. A low should pass to arrest such staff and be held accountable for their criminal conspiracy. This forced me to homeschool my child while I am paying taxes to support schools. There should be also a law for tax deduction when state failed to provide disability accommodation. Additionally certain public schools were hiring substitute nurses who did not qualify to practice nursing and could not even monitor a device as they asked me to keep my child home. Again providing monitoring devices to these staff isnt enough. Accountability and arrest should be mandated as they have now immunity under public service. We a need a reform to ensure diabetic children are safe at public school

Please support SB122 for schools to provide crucial care to T1Ds. Thank you!

As a mom of a son with T1D, I support the Bill SB122 that would allow school staff members to assist students who need help with monitoring and/or changing pumps and allow for updated technology to be used to monitor students in the process.

As a Registered Nurse, I support SB122

I am the parent of a Virginia student who managed Type 1 Diabetes throughout his school years. We encountered inconsistent emergency protocols, varying procedures between schools, and uncertainty about who was trained to respond in a crisis. Virginia’s diabetes-related school code is 27 years old and no longer aligns with current standards of care. SB122/HB 1301 provides clarity and safeguards that will protect students across the Commonwealth. I respectfully urge you to support this bill.

As a special educator and the mother of a four-year-old with Type 1 Diabetes who will be entering public school this fall, I respectfully urge the Senate to pass this bill and modernize the language protecting our students with T1D. This issue is deeply personal to me. I see firsthand the challenges families continue to face, and I know many Type 1 families across our Commonwealth feel unheard and overwhelmed. Our current code is 27 years old and does not reflect today’s standards of diabetes care. Every child with Type 1 Diabetes deserves safe, consistent, and medically appropriate care during the school day. I respectfully ask for your support in ensuring our policies reflect current best practices and prioritize student safety.

As a Virginia educator, I support SB122 because it addresses a very real, everyday issue for students with Type 1 diabetes. Schools don’t always have a nurse available at every moment, and that can create unnecessary risks or barriers for students who just want to participate in class, field trips, and activities like everyone else. SB122 offers a practical solution by allowing trained school staff to assist with routine diabetes care when needed making sure help is available when the nurse isn’t. This bill is about safety, inclusion, and common sense. Students with T1D deserve to feel secure at school, and their families deserve peace of mind. I encourage you to support SB122.

I am a support of this bill HB122 This bill will modernize the care of children with diabetes in the school to keep up with the current and future improvement to keep the children safe, healthy, and to ensure they have the proper environment and equal education. This is not a luxury. This is a necessity to keep children living with type one diabetes safe and also provide staff members with the tools and permissions to care for children in the appropriate way

Dear Members of the General Assembly, I serve on the Prince William County School Board and I also have a child with Type 1 Diabetes. I strongly favor SB122, Senator McPike’s bill, and urge you to support it. First, Insulin care has dramatically changed since the law was last addressed. Non-medical school personnel have been authorized since 1999 to administer insulin from a vial or syringe. Now, the standard method of delivery of insulin is a pump, and they are extremely safe and very easy to insert. Children and their parents routinely insert pumps. The devices are FDA-approved for non-licensed users. I taught my child to insert his own pumps when he was in middle school, and so do many parents. This is not a hard thing to do nor is it hard to learn, nor does it require a nurse, nor would it be disruptive to a non-medical school board employee to help a child reinsert a pump that has come off. Many, if not the majority, of children with diabetes are on pumps. Rrarely does a pump “fall off,” but when it does, it does need to be reinserted. Putting a pump back on (pump insertion) is NOT a clinical medical procedure, but a standard diabetes management task that is simple, easy, and absolutely necessary to maintain continuous insulin delivery. Requiring a nurse to switch back to delivering insulin by injection is a back-sliding level of care because it is so much less precise and so much more subject to human error. Insulin delivery by pump is a far superior, more exact delivery method and is routinely used in the diabetes world, and our law needs to catch up with modern methods of insulin delivery. Second, “administration of insulin” and “insulin injections” are not medical terms. They describe a treatment for diabetes, and these terms are used in the American Diabetes Association’s Standards of Care. Third, Virginia has allowed non-medical school employees to provide diabetes care since 1999, including insulin by injection Again, the METHOD of delivery of insulin is the only thing that has changed, and young children do need help from employees of the school. The authority already in Code has never permitted employee to abandon their assigned duties nor act without administrative oversight, and this is certainly not the case here. Employees who assist with diabetes care are identified, trained and authorized by the medical prescribers and the school division to provide care within the school’s existing staffing structures and under their supervision plans. This bill does not remove a school’s authority to manage classrooms, assignments, or staff coverage if diabetes care is needed. It is unreasonable to presume that taking a few minutes to reinsert a pump for a child would create a new or disruptive framework beyond what schools have safely managed for decades. As a school board member, I would much rather a child’s pump be reinserted and their insulin delivery resume than for am employee to revert to manually drawing up insulin. The pump can deliver insulin at much more accurate doses and the chances of too much insulin or not enough insulin are minimized with this more accurate standard of care. Please vote in favor of SB122. As a school board member and as a mother of a diabetic student, I fully support Senator McPike’s SB122 and urge you to support it. Jennifer Wall Gainesville District Prince William County School Board

Diabetes does not clock out at 3 p.m. Students with Type 1 diabetes are making life-saving medical decisions all day — checking blood sugar, dosing insulin, preventing seizures, preventing unconsciousness. This isn’t optional. It’s not a preference. It’s survival. When schools are not trained or are afraid to help, children are left vulnerable. Parents are called out of work. Kids are sent home for numbers that could have been safely managed in minutes. Some are even discouraged from attending school normally. This bill matters because it: • Protects a child’s right to safely self-manage at school • Allows trained staff to assist when needed • Ensures access to insulin, glucagon, pumps, and CGMs • Reduces medical emergencies • Keeps kids in class instead of in crisis No child should be academically penalized for having an autoimmune disease. No parent should have to fight for basic safety. And no school should be unsure whether they are allowed to help. This legislation creates clarity, protection, and accountability — for schools and for families. Diabetes care in schools isn’t special treatment. It’s medical necessity.

My son was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age 12 while in public school. Even though he’s now an adult, this bill is deeply important to me because I know firsthand the struggles families are still experiencing. Last year I supported SB1303 and now SB122. Many Type 1 families across our commonwealth feel unheard and are overwhelmed. Every type 1 child deserves safe, consistent diabetes care in school which is why the current 27 year old code needs to be updated for today’s standards of care. I respectfully ask you to support this bill.

The law should be updated to allow staff members to assist students who need help with monitoring and/or changing pumps and allow for updated technology to be used to monitor students in the process.