Education Committee- House

Representative painter back up. DO we noted. Sir any other questions for. Representive in it or her witness. Seeing none Shipley I'm issue I see you're signed up to speak for the bill would you still like to stays there do you have additional comments that you would like to make. Great and I notice you have also is recess and Braden I do if they would like to join you now at the end of the table. You make your your poll that Mike up close and personal button and introduce yourself for the record. Manager's Shibley and I am twelve years old. I started having seizures or when I was in pre K.. My teacher thought I did not. No I want a teacher did not know what they were she thought I was. Disrespectful. One I did not answer her she thought I was being defiant. When I did not know. And do what she as she thought I was not listening. One and missed the instructions. And I did not know what to do. I got in trouble all the time. I was having no more than eighty seizures in a day. NPK. Later I it would have more than two hundred seizures today but after the I was diagnosed with epilepsy and and my mom. The teachers. What some seizures work late at things got better and I think it is important that adult at schools know that is more than one kind of seizure. Then hi and they know what to do. So that other kids don't have to go through what I did. My name is Brian Compton Japan I am eight years old my brother Reese had seizures since he was sent I was a baby Reese has seizures every day but a lot of our friends classmates and even adults don't realize what is happening. I do I know how to you has. How to use his VNS magnetic. I know when he is having clusters and need rescue meds I know any as having a seizure but still moving even walking and that is dangerous I think teachers should know as much as I do not just for my brother but for other kids to please pass H. B. one five thank you H. B. U. S. one three one five. Members any questions for these two witnesses. Seeing none. Very well done young man. Mr Jamie did you have additional comments. Just a couple. Just a couple of. As I mentioned every seizure every child was seizure it is different and you've heard Reese mentioned that he's had upwards of two hundred seizures in a day Reese has a vagus nerve stimulator which is mentioned in the bill he takes oral medications every day as a matter of course four three a anti epileptics and then he has rescue meds at school both oral and nasal and I've worked over the last seven years to educate all of his teachers about what to do and how to respond and they've all been very good at doing that occasionally we'll get a call to say it's it's been more than five minutes and I gave him and NO or Ahmed but he still doesn't seem to be responding what do I do now and we're always happy to to answer those questions and we're always available I never turn my phone off the other important part of this is recognizing triggers so we try to educate his teachers about what can exacerbate his seizures and that also is part of its future action plan so that's important for students to know for example in August every year when Reese because outside at recess almost every single day he will come back inside and have a seizure because the heat is a problem for him so if we know that that's a problem and we can avoid having him outside on days that are extra special hot that helps make his life better and it helps his classmates as teachers I just want to thank everyone for your time and attention and we're happy to answer any other questions I appreciate your support. Thank you miss Shipley. next we have to speak for the bill. Charlene and Sadie Kirk. Kirks like to go to the end of the table. And if you will blows my except close and turn the Mike on introduce yourself for the record and then you may proceed. All right. Good morning thank you chair chair eleven members of the Education Committee for allowing me to speak today my name is Charlie Kirk and I am the chair of the board of directors for the epilepsy foundation of Arkansas whom I'm speaking on behalf to testify on house bill thirteen fifteen the foundation also wants to thank the bill's sponsors and for presenting for bringing forward this important piece of let's legislature. Seizure safe schools legislation was first initiated by one of the absolute epilepsy foundation's teens speak up representatives. This led to the first bill being passed in Kentucky and twenty eighteen in support of seizure safe schools the epilepsy foundation launched a nation wide initiative to pass seizure safe schools legislation in all states to date we have nineteen bills that have been signed into law. The epilepsy foundation is the leading national voluntary Health Organization that speaks on behalf of at least three point four million Americans with that living with epilepsy and seizure disorders the epilepsy foundation of Arkansas serves nearly thirty two thousand eight hundred people living with epilepsy across this state and that includes four thousand nine hundred children. Epilepsy is a condition of the brain which causes reoccurring seizures is the fourth most common neurological disorder in the country it is a spectrum disease comprised of many diagnosis is including an ever growing number of rare epilepsies there are many different types of seizures and event varying levels of seizure control. House bill thirteen fifteen would require training for all school personnel in seizure recognition and first aid respond every two years and age appropriate seizure education programs for students. Rules would also be required to have a season seizure action plan for each student diagnosed with epilepsy on file and available to all personnel responsible for that student. Additionally the bill would require at least two school personnel to be trained to help administer seizure rescue medication or a manual dose of stimulation for the V. N. S. device in case of an emergency lastly there is also a good Samaritan Clause for those acting in good faith in accordance with the bill's provisions that.