HARTFORD, Conn. — A task force appointed by the state Legislature may recommend mandatory food allergy training for school bus drivers in the state, WTNH reports.

The task force found that students with food allergies are especially vulnerable on school buses, whether traveling to or from school or going on a field trip or sporting event, because kids often bring food that could cause an acute allergic reaction, according to the news source. It is estimated that about 8% of schoolchildren have food allergies, WTNH reports.

Ten years ago, the state passed a law that mandates that school districts have rules about foods that are served, sanitation, and administering medication, particularly for EpiPens, which are required to be in all schools, according to the news source. Mike Corjulo, a school nurse supervisor on the task force, told WTNH that some school districts have “implemented really safe and inclusive practices and others have not.”

The task force, which has to make recommendations to the General Assembly in three weeks, is considering recommending that Connecticut join the states of Massachusetts and Rhode Island in requiring school bus drivers to be trained in how to treat acute allergic reactions, according to the news source.

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