Before students can get a Band-Aid or headache medicine, school nurses and staff in Boise, Idaho, must have permission from a parent after a new law was implemented mandating parental consent for non-life-threatening medical services.
Senate Bill 1329 went into effect in July and includes a section that states that "an individual shall not furnish a health care service or solicit to furnish a health care service to a minor child without obtaining the prior consent of the minor child's parent."
It defines health care service as anything that includes a diagnosis, care, screening, prevention, cure, examination, or relief of any physical or mental health condition, illness or injury.
The Boise School District recently sent out a memo to parents about the bill saying they updated its parental consent policy, according to an email from the district that included the memo. Among the things the district said it needed consent for was the use of routine first-aid, Band-Aids, mental health check-ins and over-the-counter headache medicine, the memo states.
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"While the Boise School District is not a health care provider in general, and does not diagnose medical conditions, we do provide services that are covered by the new law," it reads.
Idaho School Boards Association said that "while it may not be the legislative intent of the sponsors to require explicit permission to provide a band-aid," they are urging school districts and charter schools to obtain consent.
"While it may be strange to parents who are being asked to do this, they should know that the district or charter are following the new statute created by SB 1329 ... and could be faced with a civil penalty if they fail to comply," executive director Misty Swanson said in a statement.
"It was existing ISBA guidance to receive parental permission regarding the dispensing of any medication. While we don’t know of any other districts sending out memos like Boise School District, all public schools in Idaho are required to follow the new statute or again be faced with civil penalties," Swanson added.
The district said that although the law says parental consent is required, they told staff to "use your best judgment and provide the care as needed" when they cannot obtain consent in a timely manner.
School officials in Boise aren't the only ones taking extra precautions. The West Ada School District told NBC affiliate KTVB of Boise that it has required consent for over 15 years but is "now operating with an increased level of awareness in light of recent legislation."
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