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5/28/2026
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House OKs Donovan bill to allow epinephrine nasal spray in schools
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STATE HOUSE – The House of Representatives today approved legislation sponsored by House Health and Human Services Committee Chairwoman Susan R. Donovan to better protect children from anaphylactic reactions by including all FDA-approved delivery devices, including nasal sprays, in the law that allows epinephrine administration at schools, on school buses and at school events.
Current law references “auto-injectors,” but in 2024 the federal Food and Drug Administration approved a nasal spray application of the drug, which treats severe allergic reactions. Chairwoman Donovan’s bill expands the law to include the nasal spray as well as any other delivery device the FDA approves for epinephrine.
“This is a small change that could save kids’ lives. Minutes matter when someone is suffering anaphylaxis, which is why we allow and encourage schools and parents of children with severe allergies to keep epinephrine on hand at school. The new nasal spray is a less intimidating delivery method, and hopefully enabling its use will mean kids experiencing severe reactions get treatment right away, reducing danger and suffering,” said Chairwoman Donovan (D-Dist. 69, Bristol, Portsmouth).
The legislation (2026-H 7617A) is supported by the Rhode Island chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Dr. Victoria Quinn, a pediatric emergency physician, said she treats anaphylaxis every day, and most patients who come to the emergency room suffering from it have epinephrine, but did not use it.
“When I ask these parents and kids why they didn’t self-administer their intramuscular epinephrine when they realized they were in anaphylaxis, the most common answer is that they were scared because it’s a needle,” she wrote in testimony to the House Education Committee. “In light of this, intra-nasal epinephrine represents a monumental advancement in the treatment of anaphylaxis…. This bill expands on existing laws regarding the treatment of anaphylaxis in schools to allow both intramuscular and intranasal epinephrine formulations. In doing so, this will give kids who have allergies and anaphylactic reactions the best chance at favorable outcomes.”
The bill now goes to the Senate, where Sen. Pamela J. Lauria (D-Dist. 32, Barrington, Bristol, East Providence) is sponsoring similar legislation (2026-S 2855).
For more information, contact:
Meredyth R. Whitty, Publicist
State House Room 20
Providence, RI 02903
(401) 222-1923
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