The Minnesota Law (Minn. Stat. 121A.24)¶
What the law is¶
Minnesota's seizure-safety law is Minnesota Statutes section 121A.24, titled "Seizure Training and Action Plan."
When it was passed
The law was enacted in 2021 in the E-12 education bill (H.F. 2, First Special Session; Laws of Minnesota 2021, First Special Session, Chapter 13, Article 6, Section 2). An earlier version of the provision was introduced as HF 469 / SF 654. The law was signed June 30, 2021, and applies starting the 2022-23 school year. The official text: https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/121A.24
Who it covers¶
All Minnesota public school districts and charter schools.
What it requires¶
The law has two parts.
Part 1: A seizure action plan (Subdivision 1)¶
When a parent or guardian tells the school that their child has a seizure disorder diagnosed by a licensed healthcare provider and has seizure rescue medication or other FDA-approved seizure medication prescribed by that provider, the school must establish a written, individualized seizure action plan that:
- Identifies a school nurse or a designated individual at each school site, on duty during the school day, who can administer or help with seizure rescue medication.
- Requires that person to be trained on the medication, on recognizing seizures, and on how to respond.
- Is provided to that identified person.
- Is filed in the office of the principal or licensed school nurse.
School employees and volunteers responsible for the supervision or care of the student must be given notice and a copy of the plan, the name or position of the trained person, and how to reach that person in an emergency.
Part 2: Training (Subdivision 2)¶
Every district and charter school must provide all licensed school nurses (or, if there is no licensed school nurse, a professional nurse or designated individual) and other school staff working with students with self-study materials on seizure signs, symptoms, medications, and appropriate responses. This part applies whether or not the school currently has a student with a seizure action plan.
Where the law is modest (and where EDAN can help)¶
The statute requires training for the designated person and self-study materials for other staff; it does not by its text set a fixed number of training hours or a single statewide certification. That means the legal floor is real but modest. The practical gap is in adoption and follow-through: does each building actually have a named trained person, a posted plan template, and completed training? This is exactly what our audit examines.
Plain-language summary¶
If your child has epilepsy and rescue medication, the school must work with you on a written plan, make sure a trained adult is available at the school, tell the staff who need to know, and keep the plan on file. Schools must also give staff materials so they can recognize and respond to seizures.
Sources: Minnesota Revisor of Statutes (121A.24); Minnesota House of Representatives session summary; Minnesota Department of Health "Managing Seizures in School."