"Elijah's Law"
Elijah's Law (Arkansas)
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Summary
Arkansas law requiring child care providers to manage food allergies, including emergency protocols for epinephrine administration. Named for Elijah-Alavi Silvera who died in November 2017 after being fed a grilled cheese sandwich at his NYC daycare despite a known dairy allergy.
Full Description
Arkansas passed its version of Elijah's Law (HB 1817) in 2025. The law mandates that child care providers take concrete steps to manage food allergies for children in their care, including developing detailed emergency protocols for managing food allergies with weight-based guidelines for epinephrine administration. It was named in memory of Elijah-Alavi Silvera, who died in November 2017 after being fed a grilled cheese sandwich at his NYC preschool despite a known severe dairy allergy. The law was championed by his parents through the Elijah-Alavi Foundation and supported by AAFA.
Key Provisions
1. Requires child care providers to manage food allergies. 2. Mandates detailed emergency protocols including weight-based epinephrine guidelines. 3. Requires staff training on anaphylaxis. 4. Named for Elijah-Alavi Silvera who died in November 2017 after being fed a grilled cheese sandwich despite a known dairy allergy.
Who This Bill Serves & Who's Backing It
Core Patient Populations
People with food allergies — including children, students, and their families.
Advocacy Groups Backing This Legislation
No advocacy organizations are currently tracked as backing this bill.Browse advocacy organizations →
Legislative Timeline
Votes & Legislative History
Public Access to Epinephrine
Public Access to Epinephrine Act
Allows authorized entities, including camps and sports venues, to acquire and stock epinephrine auto-injectors and nasal sprays for emergency use on individuals experiencing anaphylaxis, regardless of prior diagnosis.
Grade nine and grade 10 health education Standards of Learning; severe allergic reaction awareness training
Requires the Board of Education to include severe allergic reaction awareness training in the health education Standards of Learning for grades nine and 10.
Public Access to Epinephrine Rules
Rules Pertaining to Public Access to Auto-Injectable Epinephrine
Authorizes 'authorized entities' (including camps, restaurants, and sports arenas) to acquire, store, and administer auto-injectable epinephrine to individuals experiencing anaphylaxis, provided they meet training and storage requirements.
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