I write to request your support for the "One School One Nurse Act" (H.R. 305) which would create a grant program to recruit, hire and retain school nurses at every elementary and secondary public school. There are over 50 million school-age children in our country. Nearly 60 percent of schools have a higher ratio of students to available nurses. Additionally, there is an estimated 40 percent of public schools with a full-time school nurse, while other schools have a nurse who works part-time or do not have a nurse at all. More than 26 million Americans are diagnosed with asthma, including 6 million children under 18. Asthma remains one of the most serious, chronic diseases with an average of 1 in 10 school-aged children diagnosed with asthma, contributing to more than 13 million missed school days per year. Approximately 32 million Americans live with severe allergies to food, insect venom, medication and latex. These allergies can lead to a potentially life-threatening allergic reaction, or anaphylaxis. There are approximately 1,500 deaths each year due to anaphylaxis, and children and adolescents are among those most at risk. School nurses are even more crucial these days because of the increase in chronic conditions like asthma and severe allergies. Additionally, they help ease racial and income-based disparities common in other health care settings by providing basic care to students in need. Thank you for your consideration. I hope this legislation becomes law to recognize the importance of school nurses and protect the health and well-being of children in school.

I write to request your support for the "One School One Nurse Act" (H.R. 305) which would create a grant program to recruit, hire and retain school nurses at every elementary and secondary public school. There are over 50 million school-age children in our country. Nearly 60 percent of schools have a higher ratio of students to available nurses. Additionally, there is an estimated 40 percent of public schools with a full-time school nurse, while other schools have a nurse who works part-time or do not have a nurse at all. There are more than 26 million Americans are diagnosed with asthma, including 6 million children under 18. Asthma remains one of the most serious, chronic diseases with an average of 1 in 10 school-aged children diagnosed with asthma, contributing to more than 13 million missed school days per year. Approximately 32 million Americans live with severe allergies to food, insect venom, medication and latex. These allergies can lead to anaphylaxis, a potentially life-threatening allergic reaction. There are approximately 1,500 deaths each year due to anaphylaxis, and children and adolescents are among those most at risk. As chronic conditions like asthma and severe allergies increase, school nurses are even more crucial. Additionally, they help ease racial and income-based disparities common in other health care settings by providing basic care to students in need. Thank you for your consideration. I hope this legislation becomes law to recognize the importance of school nurses and protect the health and well-being of children in school.

I write to request your support for the "One School One Nurse Act" (H.R. 305) which would create a grant program to recruit, hire and retain school nurses at every elementary and secondary public school. There are over 50 million school-age children in our country. Nearly 60 percent of schools have a higher ratio of students to available nurses. Additionally, there is an estimated 40 percent of public schools with a full-time school nurse, while other schools have a nurse who works part-time or do not have a nurse at all. There are more than 26 million Americans diagnosed with asthma, including 6 million children under 18. Asthma remains one of the most serious, chronic diseases with an average of 1 in 10 school-aged children diagnosed with asthma, contributing to more than 13 million missed school days per year. Approximately 32 million Americans live with severe allergies to food, insect venom, medication and latex. These allergies can lead to a potentially life-threatening allergic reaction, or anaphylaxis. Each year, there are approximately 1,500 deaths due to anaphylaxis, and children and adolescents are among those most at risk. School nurses are even more crucial these days because of the increase in chronic conditions like asthma and severe allergies. Additionally, they help ease racial and income-based disparities common in other health care settings by providing basic care to students in need. Thank you for your consideration. I hope this legislation becomes law to recognize the importance of school nurses and protect the health and well-being of children in school.