SPRINGFIELD – To protect the health of students with asthma, State Senator Adriane Johnson’s new law will ensure that life-saving asthma medication will be available in school gyms.
“Every day students with asthma participate in activities with the knowledge that their asthma medication is not within reach,” said Johnson (D-Buffalo Grove). “By enabling gyms and practice fields to have rescue medication, and allowing coaches to administer it can make all the difference in an emergency. Quick access to treatments reduces hospital visits, improves quality of life and gives students greater security.”
House Bill 4247 will allow schools to maintain a supply of asthma medication at practice fields and gyms and permits coaches and athletic trainers to administer undesignated asthma medication.
Asthma affects an estimated 201,000 children in Illinois and results in nearly 13,000 emergency room visits among school-aged children each year. Exercise-induced asthma – where symptoms are triggered by physical activity – can put student athletes at heightened risk of sudden respiratory distress.
The law complements the Resources for Every School Confronting Unexpected Emergencies program – known as the RESCUE Illinois Schools Program – which provides asthma medication and equipment to schools across the state. During the 2024-2025 school year alone, emergency asthma treatment was provided more than 2,600 times in participating schools, helping many students return safely to class without requiring hospitalization.
“When a child experiences an asthma attack, every second matters,” Johnson said. “Keeping asthma medication readily accessible in gyms and on practice fields helps ensure students receive fast treatment and stay safe during emergencies.”
House Bill 4247 was signed into law Friday.
