Education and Health - Emergency Use Epinephrine - Alterations
HB536 updates Maryland law governing emergency epinephrine use by replacing the term “auto-injectable epinephrine” with “emergency use epinephrine” across multiple education, health, and health occupations provisions. The bill also broadens the definition to include not only portable, disposable drug delivery devices but also other FDA-approved products that contain a premeasured single dose of epinephrine for treating anaphylaxis in an emergency. In addition, it renames the Emergency Use Auto-Injectable Epinephrine Program as the Emergency Use Epinephrine Program and makes conforming changes throughout the affected statutes.
The bill preserves and restates existing authority for public schools, nonpublic schools, child care providers, youth camps, and certain participating food service or recreation/wellness facilities to obtain, store, and administer epinephrine in emergencies when a person is believed to be experiencing anaphylaxis and a physician or EMS is not immediately available. It also maintains related training, notification, reporting, and liability protections for school personnel, child care providers, camp staff, physicians, pharmacists, nurse practitioners, and others acting in good faith. The effective date is July 1, 2025.
HB536 would amend provisions in the Education Article, Health - General Article, and Health Occupations Article to modernize terminology and expand the statutory definition of emergency epinephrine products. The bill would affect public and nonpublic schools, child care settings, youth camps, participating facilities in the Emergency Use Epinephrine Program, and licensed health care professionals who prescribe or dispense epinephrine. It does not create a new program so much as rename and update existing law, while preserving existing emergency administration authority and civil immunity provisions.
Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee testimony or votes in the provided materials, the measure appears to be a technical and public-safety-oriented update with likely broad support. The changes are framed as modernization and conforming revisions rather than a policy expansion that would significantly alter who may use epinephrine in emergencies. No opposition or recorded controversy is reflected in the available context.
The main substantive issue is the broadened definition of “emergency use epinephrine,” which now includes FDA-approved products beyond traditional auto-injectors. That change may raise implementation questions for schools, camps, and participating facilities about training, storage, and compliance with manufacturer instructions. Another point of possible concern is the continued reliance on good-faith immunity and the conditions under which liability protections apply, especially where storage, expiration dates, or procedures are not followed. No specific stakeholder objections are included in the provided record.