(a) School districts, county offices of education, and charter schools shall provide emergency epinephrine auto-injectors to school nurses or trained personnel who have volunteered pursuant to subdivision (d), and school nurses or trained personnel may use epinephrine auto-injectors to provide emergency medical aid to persons suffering, or reasonably believed to be suffering, from an anaphylactic reaction. (b) For purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings:

• (1) “Anaphylaxis” means a potentially life-threatening hypersensitivity to a substance.
  • (A) Symptoms of anaphylaxis may include shortness of breath, wheezing, difficulty breathing, difficulty talking or swallowing, hives, itching, swelling, shock, or asthma.
  • (B) Causes of anaphylaxis may include, but are not limited to, an insect sting, food allergy, drug reaction, and exercise.

(a) Notwithstanding Section 49422, a pupil who is required to take, during the regular schoolday, medication prescribed for the pupil by a physician or surgeon, may be assisted by the school nurse or other designated school personnel or may carry and self-administer inhaled asthma medication if the school district receives the appropriate written statements specified in subdivision (b). (b) (1) In order for a pupil to be assisted by a school nurse or other designated school personnel pursuant to subdivision (a), the school district shall obtain both a written statement from the physician or surgeon detailing the name of the medication, method, amount, and time schedules by which the medication is to be taken and a written statement from the parent, foster parent, or guardian of the pupil requesting that the school district assist the pupil in the matters set forth in the statement of the physician or surgeon.