The Minnesota Senate on Thursday unanimously approved a new bill from Sen. Jeremy Miller (R-Winona) that would protect individuals who provide care to someone experiencing a potentially life-threatening allergic reaction. Senate File 1257 would allow any certified individual to administer their epinephrine auto-injector, commonly known as an epi-pen, to another individual in anaphylaxis – a practice prohibited under current law.

“Allergic reactions can turn into a life-threatening situation in a very short period of time and acting quickly is critical,” said Sen. Miller. “If you are trained in how to administer an epi-pen and you know all the warning signs, there’s no reason the law should prevent you from helping another individual in a potentially life-threatening situation. Removing this unnecessary barrier will help save lives.”

Roughly 10% of people carry an epinephrine auto-injector and therefore are already certified to administer one. Others can become certified by participating in a training program that instructs individuals how to recognize signs and symptoms of severe allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis; standards and procedures for the storage and administration of an epinephrine auto-injector; and emergency follow-up procedures.

The bill is modeled after the widely popular and bipartisan ‘Dillon’s Law’ that became law in Wisconsin in 2017.