Tenn. Code Ann. § 49-50-1602 (2026)

• (a) Notwithstanding any law, policy or guideline to the contrary, a local board of education or a governing board for a nonpublic school may permit an employee or a person under contract to the board to assist in self-administration of medications, under the following conditions:
  • (1)
    • (A) The student must be competent to self-administer nonprescription or prescription medication with assistance;
    • (B) The student's condition, for which the medication is authorized or prescribed, must be stable;
    • (C) The self-administration of the medication must be properly documented;
    • (D) Guidelines, not inconsistent with this section, for the assistance in self-administration of nonprescription or prescription medications by personnel in the school setting, developed by the departments of health and education and approved by the board of nursing, must be followed;
    • (E) The student's parent or guardian must give permission in writing for school personnel to assist with self-administration of medications. The written permission shall be kept in the student's school records; and
    • (F) Assistance with self-administration shall primarily include storage and timely distribution of medication;
  • (2) Health care procedures including administration of medications to students during the school day or at related events shall be performed by appropriately licensed health care professionals in accordance with applicable guidelines of their respective regulatory boards and in conformity with policies and rules of local boards of education or governing boards of nonpublic schools. The student's parent or guardian must give permission in writing for appropriately licensed health care professionals to perform health care procedures and administer medications. The written permission shall be kept in the student's school records;
  • (3) Any person assisting in self-administration of medication or performing health care procedures, including administration of medications under this section, and any local board of education or governing board for a nonpublic school authorizing the self-administration of medications or the performance of health care procedures shall not be liable in any court of law for injury resulting from the reasonable and prudent assistance in the self-administration of such medication or the reasonable performance of the health care procedures, including administration of medications, if performed pursuant to the policies and guidelines developed by the departments of health and education and approved by applicable regulatory or governing boards or agencies;
  • (4) The departments of education and health shall jointly compile an annual report of self-administered medications and health care procedures, including administration of medications as provided for in this part, to students served in all public and nonpublic accredited schools in this state. This report shall be provided to the governor and the general assembly by October 31 of each year and shall include recommendations for meeting the needs for comprehensive school health.

• (b) In addition to assistance with self-administration of medications provided for in subsection (a), school personnel who volunteer under no duress or pressure and who have been properly trained by a registered nurse employed or contracted by the LEA may administer glucagon in emergency situations and may administer daily insulin to a student based on that student's individual health plan (IHP). However, if a public school nurse is available and on site, the nurse shall provide this service to the student. The public school nurse may train as many school personnel as volunteer and are willing to assist with the care of students with diabetes but should seek to ensure at least two (2) volunteers are available. The nurse shall be under no duress to qualify any volunteer unless such volunteer is trained and deemed by the nurse to be competent. In addition, in order to reduce the number of syringes present in schools, the nurse may encourage the use of an insulin pen, when available and deemed medically appropriate by the student's treating physician. The public school nurse employed or contracted by the LEA shall be responsible for updating and maintaining each IHP. The department of health and the department of education shall jointly amend current Guidelines for Use of Health Care Professionals and Health Procedures in a School Setting to reflect the appropriate procedures for use by registered nurses in training volunteer school personnel to administer glucagon and insulin. The board of nursing shall be afforded the opportunity to review and comment on the guidelines before they take effect and any training begins. The guidelines developed shall be used uniformly by all LEAs that choose to allow volunteer school personnel to administer glucagon and insulin. Training pursuant to subdivision (d)(3) to administer glucagon and insulin shall be repeated annually and competencies shall be documented at least twice a year in the employee's personnel file. The provisions of subdivision (a)(3) regarding protection from liability shall apply also to the volunteers who provide services pursuant to this subsection (b) and the registered nurses who provide their training.

• (c) Notwithstanding any provision of this title or any other law or rule to the contrary:
  • (1) An LEA must permit possession and self-administration of a prescribed, metered dosage asthma-reliever inhaler by any asthmatic student if the student's parent or guardian:
    • (A) Provides to the school written authorization for student possession and self-administration of the inhaler; and
    • (B) Provides a written statement from the prescribing health care practitioner that the student suffers from asthma and has been instructed in self-administration of the prescribed, metered dosage asthma-reliever inhaler. The statement must also contain the following information:
      • (i) The name and purpose of the medication;
      • (ii) The prescribed dosage;
      • (iii) The time or times the prescribed inhaler is to be regularly administered, as well as any additional special circumstances under which the inhaler is to be administered; and
      • (iv) The length of time for which the inhaler is prescribed;
  • (2) The statements required in subdivision (c)(1) shall be kept on file in the office of the school nurse or school administrator;
  • (3) The LEA shall inform the student's parent or guardian that the school and its employees and agents shall incur no liability as a result of any injury sustained by the student or any other person from possession or self-administration of the inhaler. The student's parent or guardian shall sign a statement acknowledging that the school shall incur no liability and the parent or guardian shall indemnify and hold harmless the school and its employees against any claims relating to the possession or self-administration of the inhaler. Nothing in this subsection (c) shall be construed to relieve liability of the school or its employees for negligence;
  • (4) The permission for self-administration of the prescribed, metered dosage asthma-reliever inhaler shall be effective for the school year in which it is granted and must be renewed each following school year upon fulfilling the requirements of subdivisions (c)(1) and (3). The LEA may suspend or revoke the student's possession and self-administration privileges if the student misuses the inhaler or makes the inhaler available for usage by any other person; and
  • (5) Upon fulfilling the requirements of subdivision (c)(1), an asthmatic student may possess and use the prescribed, metered dose asthma-reliever inhaler when at school, at a school-sponsored activity or before or after normal school activities while on school properties, including school-sponsored child care or after-school programs.

• (d)
  • (1) Notwithstanding any law, policy, or guideline to the contrary, a local board of education or a governing board for a nonpublic school may permit school personnel to volunteer to assist with the care of students with diabetes under the following conditions:
    • (A) The student's parent or guardian and the student's personal health care team must have developed a medical management plan that lists the health services needed by the student at school and is signed by the student's physician, nurse practitioner or physician assistant;
    • (B) The student's parent or guardian shall have given permission for the school's trained volunteer or school nurse to participate in the care of the student with diabetes. The written permission shall be kept in the student's school records.
    • (C) Assistance in the care of students with diabetes must be documented in accordance with this subsection (d); and
    • (D) The department of education and the department of health shall, after considering recommendations from national organizations involved with diabetes care, jointly amend current "Guidelines for Use of Health Care Professionals and Health Care Procedures in a School Setting" to reflect the appropriate procedures for use by the school registered nurse (RN) in training school personnel who volunteer to assist with the care of students with diabetes. The guidelines may not take effect and no training under the guidelines may take place until the board of nursing has been afforded an opportunity to review and comment on the guidelines. The guidelines must be used uniformly by all LEAs that choose to allow school personnel to volunteer to assist with the care of students with diabetes.
  • (2) The guidelines for assistance with the care of students with diabetes must include the following:
    • (A) Guidelines for recognition, management and treatment of hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia;
    • (B) Guidelines for understanding the individual health plan (IHP) for a student with diabetes with regard to blood glucose level target ranges, schedules for meals and snacks and actions to be taken in the case of schedule disruption; and
    • (C) Guidelines for performing blood glucose monitoring, ketone checking and recording the results and also for performing insulin and glucagon administration.
  • (3) All school nurses must be educated in diabetes care and must have knowledge of the guidelines. School personnel, who volunteer under no duress to assist with the care of students with diabetes, must receive training pursuant to the guidelines from a school RN. The school RN may use certified diabetes educators and licensed nutritionists to assist with the training. All training must be renewed on an annual basis and competency must be noted in the personnel file. No school personnel shall be required to volunteer for the training. School personnel may not be reprimanded, subject to any adverse employment action or punished in any manner for refusing to volunteer.
  • (4) If a school nurse is on-site and available to assist, the school nurse must provide any needed diabetes assistance rather than other trained school personnel volunteering to assist the student. In addition, a school RN has primary responsibility for maintaining all student health records.
  • (5) The following persons shall not be liable in any court of law for injury resulting from reasonable assistance with the care of students with diabetes if performed pursuant to the guidelines developed by the departments of health and education:
    • (A) Any school RN who provides the training;
    • (B) Any person who is trained and whose competency is indicated in the person's personnel file as required in subdivision (d)(3); and
    • (C) Any local board of education or governing board for a nonpublic school that authorizes school personnel to volunteer to assist with the care of students with diabetes.
  • (6) The activities set forth in this subsection (d) shall not constitute the practice of professional nursing unless performed by an individual licensed by the board of nursing.
  • (7) Upon written request of the parent or guardian, and if included in the student's medical management plan and in the IHP, a student with diabetes shall be permitted to perform blood glucose checks, administer insulin, treat hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia and otherwise attend to the care and management of the student's diabetes in any area of the school or school grounds and at any school-related activity, and shall be permitted to possess on the student's person at all times all necessary diabetes monitoring and treatment supplies, including sharps. Any sharps involved in diabetes care and management for a student shall be stored in a secure but accessible location, including on the student's person, until use of the sharps is appropriate. Use and disposal of sharps shall be in compliance with the guidelines set forth by the Tennessee occupational safety and health administration (TOSHA).
  • (8) An LEA shall not assign a student with diabetes to a school other than the school for which the student is zoned or would otherwise regularly attend because the student has diabetes.
  • (9) School RNs who provide training to volunteers under this subsection (d) shall not be subject to any disciplinary or other adverse licensing action by the board of nursing for injury resulting from assistance with the care of students with diabetes if performed pursuant to the guidelines developed by the departments of health and education.

• (e)
  • (1) A student with anaphylaxis is entitled to possess and self-administer prescription anaphylaxis medication while on school property or at a school-related event or activity if:
    • (A) The prescription anaphylaxis medication has been prescribed for that student as indicated by the prescription label on the medication;
    • (B) The self-administration is done in compliance with the prescription or written instructions from the student's physician or other licensed health care provider; and
    • (C) A parent of the student provides to the school:
      • (i) Written authorization, signed by the parent, for the student to self-administer prescription anaphylaxis medication while on school property or at a school-related event or activity;
      • (ii) A written statement, signed by the parent, in which the parent releases the school district and its employees and agents from liability for an injury arising from the student's self-administration of prescription anaphylaxis medication while on school property or at a school-related event or activity, except in cases of wanton or willful misconduct; and
      • (iii) A written statement from the student's physician or other licensed health care provider, signed by the physician or provider, that:
        • (a) Supports a diagnosis of anaphylaxis;
        • (b) Identifies any food or other substances to which the student is allergic;
        • (c) Describes any prior history of anaphylaxis, if appropriate;
        • (d) Lists any medication prescribed for the child for the treatment of anaphylaxis;
        • (e) Details emergency treatment procedures in the event of a reaction;
        • (f) Lists the signs and symptoms of a reaction;
        • (g) Assesses the student's readiness for self-administration of prescription medication; and
        • (h) Provides a list of substitute meals that may be offered by school food service personnel.
  • (2) The physician's statement must be kept on file in the office of the school nurse of the school the student attends or, if there is not a school nurse, in the office of the principal of the school the student attends.
  • (3) If a student uses the medication in a manner other than prescribed, the student may be subject to disciplinary action under the school codes.

• (f)
  • (1) The department of education, in conjunction with the department of health, shall develop and make available guidelines for the management of students with life-threatening food allergies to each LEA. The guidelines shall include, but need not be limited to:
    • (A) Education and training for school personnel on the management of students with life-threatening food allergies, including training related to the administration of medication with a cartridge injector;
    • (B) Procedures for responding to life-threatening allergic reactions to food;
    • (C) Procedures for the maintenance of a file by the school nurse or principal for each student at risk for anaphylaxis;
    • (D) Development of communication strategies between individual schools and local providers of emergency medical services, including appropriate instructions for emergency medical response;
    • (E) Development of strategies to reduce the risk of exposure to anaphylactic causative agents in classrooms and common school areas such as the cafeteria;
    • (F) Procedures for the dissemination of information on life threatening food allergies to school staff, parents and students, if appropriate by law;
    • (G) Procedures for authorizing school personnel to administer epinephrine when the school nurse is not immediately available;
    • (H) Procedures for the timely accessibility of epinephrine by school personnel when the nurse is not immediately available;
    • (I) Development of extracurricular programs related to anaphylaxis, such as nonacademic outings and field trips, before and after school programs and school-sponsored programs held on weekends;
    • (J) Creation of an individual health care plan tailored to the needs of each individual child at risk for anaphylaxis, including any procedures for the self-administration of medication by the children in instances where the children are capable of self-administering medication and where such self-administration is otherwise in accordance with this title; and
    • (K) Collection and publication of data for each administration of epinephrine to a student at risk for anaphylaxis.
  • (2) Each LEA shall implement a plan based on the guidelines developed pursuant to subdivision (f)(1) for the management of students with life-threatening food allergies enrolled in the schools under its jurisdiction.
  • (3)
    • (A) It is the intent of the general assembly that schools, both public and nonpublic, be prepared to treat allergic reaction in the event a student's personal epinephrine auto-injector is not available or the student is having a reaction for the first time.
    • (B) Each school in an LEA and each nonpublic school is authorized to maintain at the school in at least two (2) unlocked, secure locations, including, but not limited to, the school office and the school cafeteria, epinephrine auto-injectors so that epinephrine may be administered to any student believed to be having a life-threatening allergic or anaphylactic reaction.
    • (C) Notwithstanding any provision of title 63 to the contrary, a physician may prescribe epinephrine auto-injectors in the name of an LEA or nonpublic school to be maintained for use in schools when necessary.
    • (D) When a student does not have an epinephrine auto-injector or a prescription for an epinephrine auto-injector on file, the school nurse or other trained school personnel may utilize the LEA or nonpublic school supply of epinephrine auto-injectors to respond to an anaphylactic reaction, under a standing protocol from a physician licensed to practice medicine in all its branches.
    • (E) If a student is injured or harmed due to the administration of epinephrine that a physician has prescribed to an LEA or nonpublic school under this subdivision (f)(3), the physician shall not be held responsible for the injury unless the physician issued the prescription or standing protocol with intentional disregard for safety.
    • (F) Similarly, if a student is injured or harmed due to administration of epinephrine to the student by a school nurse or other trained school personnel under this subdivision (f)(3), the school nurse or school employee shall not be held responsible for the injury unless the school nurse or school employee administered the epinephrine injection with an intentional disregard for safety.

• (g)
  • (1) In addition to the assistance with self-administration of medications provided for in subsection (a), public and nonpublic school personnel who volunteer under no duress or pressure and who have been properly trained by a registered nurse employed or contracted by the LEA or governing board for a nonpublic school may administer anti-seizure medications, including diazepam gel, to a student in an emergency situation based on that student's IHP; however, if a school nurse is available, on site, and able to reach the student within the time limit for administration specified in the IHP, then the nurse shall provide this service to the student. All public schools are subject to all requirements in this subsection (g). Nonpublic schools whose governing boards choose to allow volunteer administration of anti-seizure medications are subject to all requirements of this subsection (g) except those in subdivisions (g)(2) and (7).
  • (2) A nurse employed or contracted by the LEA shall be responsible for updating and maintaining each IHP.
  • (3) The department of health and the department of education shall jointly amend current guidelines for use of health care professionals and health procedures in a school setting to reflect the appropriate procedures for use by registered nurses in training volunteer school personnel to administer anti-seizure medications, including diazepam gel, to a student in an emergency situation. The board of nursing and the Epilepsy Foundations of Tennessee shall be afforded the opportunity to review and comment on the guidelines before they take effect and any training begins. The guidelines developed shall be used uniformly by all LEAs and the governing boards of nonpublic schools that choose to allow volunteer school personnel to administer anti-seizure medications. In addition, the guidelines shall require at least one (1) school employee to serve as a witness on any occasion a volunteer administers anti-seizure medication during an emergency situation, unless a witness is not available within the time limit for administration specified in the IHP.
  • (4) Once a public or private school has determined to allow volunteer staff to administer anti-seizure medication in an emergency situation, the training referenced in subdivision (g)(3) shall be conducted as soon as possible, and shall be repeated annually thereafter. In addition, competencies to administer anti-seizure medications shall be documented in the personnel file of all volunteer school personnel. All volunteers trained to administer anti-seizure medications shall also be trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
  • (5) Upon the decision of a trained volunteer to administer diazepam gel, school officials shall immediately summon local emergency medical services to the school to provide necessary monitoring or transport to safeguard the health and condition of the student.
  • (6) Trained volunteer school personnel administering anti-seizure medications under this subsection (g), any registered nurse who provides training to administer such medications and any local board of education or governing board for a nonpublic school authorizing the same shall not be liable in any court of law for injury resulting from the reasonable and prudent assistance in the administration of such medications, if performed pursuant to the policies and guidelines developed by the departments of health and education and approved by applicable regulatory or governing boards or agencies.
  • (7) An LEA shall not assign a student with epilepsy or other seizure disorder to a school other than the school for which the student is zoned or would otherwise regularly attend because the student has a seizure disorder.
  • (8) Prior to administration of an anti-seizure medication to a student by volunteer school personnel or a school nurse in an emergency situation, the student's parent or guardian shall provide:
    • (A) The school with a written authorization to administer the medication at school;
    • (B) A written statement from the student's health care practitioner, which statement shall contain the student's name, the name and purpose of the medication, the prescribed dosage, the route of administration, the frequency that the medication may be administered, and the circumstances under which the medication may be administered; and
    • (C) Prior to its date of expiration, the prescribed medication to the school in its unopened, sealed package with the intact label affixed by the dispensing pharmacy.
  • (9) The written authorization required by subdivision (g)(8)(A) shall be kept on file in the office of the school nurse or school administrator. Unless subsequently rescinded in writing, the authorization shall be effective for the entirety of the school year in which it is granted.
  • (10) The school nurse or school administrator shall check monthly the expiration date for each anti-seizure medication in possession of the school. At least one (1) month prior to the expiration date of each medication, the school nurse or administrator shall inform the student's parent or guardian of the expiration date.
  • (11) A student's parent or guardian who has given the student's school written authorization to administer anti-seizure medication shall, in accordance with the student's IHP, notify the school administrator or school nurse if anti-seizure medication or prescription or over-the-counter medicines are administered to the student at a time at which the student is not present at school. The student's IHP shall set forth with specificity the requirements of reporting administration of medication and for the dissemination of such information to volunteer school personnel trained to administer anti-seizure medication. The notification shall be given after administration of medication before or at the beginning of the next school day in which the student is in attendance.

Added by 2015 Tenn. Acts, ch. 321,s 1, eff. 7/1/2015.