Wis. Stat. § 118.29 — WI Code / Chapter 118 / Section 118.29
Administration of drugs and emergency care.
Status: in_force

(1) Definitions. In this section:

(a) “Administer” means the direct application of a nonprescription drug product or prescription drug, whether by injection, ingestion or other means, to the human body.

(b) “Drug” means any substance recognized as a drug in the official U.S. pharmacopoeia and national formulary or official homeopathic pharmacopoeia of the United States or any supplement to either of them.

(bg) “Drug product” means a specific drug or drugs in a specific dosage form and strength from a known source of manufacture.

(br) “Epinephrine delivery system” means a device that is approved by the federal food and drug administration, that contains a premeasured dose of epinephrine, and that is used to administer epinephrine into the human body to prevent or treat a life-threatening allergic reaction.

(c) “Health care professional” means a person licensed as an emergency medical services practitioner under s. 256.15 , a person certified as an emergency medical responder under s. 256.15 (8) or any person licensed, certified, permitted or registered under chs. 441 or 446 to 449 .

(d) “High degree of negligence” means criminal negligence, as defined in s. 939.25 (1) .

(dm) “Nonprescription drug product” means any nonnarcotic drug product which may be sold without a prescription order and which is prepackaged for use by consumers and labeled in accordance with the requirements of state and federal law.

(dr) “Opioid antagonist” has the meaning given in s. 450.01 (13v) .

(dt) “Opioid-related drug overdose” has the meaning given in s. 256.40 (1) (d) .

(e) “Practitioner” means any physician, naturopathic doctor, dentist, optometrist, physician assistant, advanced practice registered nurse with prescribing authority, or podiatrist licensed in any state.

(f) “Prescription drug” has the meaning specified in s. 450.01 (20) .

(2) Authority to administer drugs; civil liability exemption.

(a) Notwithstanding chs. 441 , 447 , 448 , and 450 , a school bus operator validly authorized under ss. 343.12 and 343.17 (3) (c) to operate the school bus he or she is operating, any school employee or volunteer, county children with disabilities education board employee or volunteer or cooperative educational service agency employee or volunteer authorized in writing by the administrator of the school district, the board or the agency, respectively, or by a school principal, any private school employee or volunteer authorized in writing by a private school administrator or private school principal, and any tribal school employee or volunteer authorized in writing by a tribal school administrator or tribal school principal:

1.

a. Except as provided in subd. 1. b. , may administer any nonprescription drug product which may lawfully be sold over the counter without a prescription to a pupil in compliance with the written instructions of the pupil’s parent or guardian if the pupil’s parent or guardian consents in writing. If the nonprescription drug product is supplied by the pupil’s parent or guardian, the nonprescription drug product shall be supplied in the original manufacturer’s package, and the package must list the ingredients and recommended therapeutic dose in a legible format.

b. May administer a nonprescription drug product to a pupil in a dosage other than the recommended therapeutic dose only if the request to do so is accompanied by the written approval of the pupil’s practitioner.

2. May administer a prescription drug to a pupil in compliance with the written instructions of a practitioner if the pupil’s parent or guardian consents in writing; the prescription drug is supplied in the original pharmacy-labeled package; and the package specifies the name of the pupil, the name of the prescriber, the name of the prescription drug, the dose, the effective date, and the directions in a legible format.

2g. May administer an opioid antagonist to any pupil or other person who appears to be undergoing an opioid-related drug overdose if, as soon as practicable, the school bus operator, employee, or volunteer reports the drug overdose by dialing the telephone number “911” or, in an area in which the telephone number “911” is not available, the telephone number for an emergency medical service provider.

2m. Except for epinephrine administered under subd. 2. , may use an epinephrine delivery system to administer epinephrine to any pupil who appears to be experiencing a severe allergic reaction if, as soon as practicable, the school bus operator, employee or volunteer reports the allergic reaction by dialing the telephone number “911” or, in an area in which the telephone number “911” is not available, the telephone number for an emergency medical service provider.

2r. Except for glucagon administered under subd. 2. , may administer glucagon to any pupil who the school bus driver, employee, or volunteer knows is diabetic and who appears to be experiencing a severe low blood sugar event with altered consciousness if, as soon as practicable, the school bus operator, employee, or volunteer reports the event by dialing the telephone number “911” or, in an area in which the telephone number “911” is not available, the telephone number for an emergency medical service provider.

3. Subject to sub. (4m) , is immune from civil liability for his or her acts or omissions in administering a nonprescription drug product or prescription drug to a pupil under subd. 1. , 2. , 2m. , or 2r. or to a pupil or other person under subd. 2g. unless the act is in violation of sub. (6) or the act or omission constitutes a high degree of negligence. This subdivision does not apply to health care professionals.

(b) Subject to sub. (4m) , any school district administrator, county children with disabilities education board administrator, cooperative educational service agency administrator, public, private, or tribal school principal, or private or tribal school administrator who authorizes an employee or volunteer to administer a nonprescription drug product or prescription drug to a pupil under par. (a) is immune from civil liability for the act of authorization unless it constitutes a high degree of negligence or the administrator or principal authorizes a person who has not received the required training under sub. (6) to administer a nonprescription drug product or prescription drug to a pupil.

(3) Emergency care; civil liability exemption. Any school bus operator validly authorized under ss. 343.12 and 343.17 (3) (c) to operate the school bus he or she is operating and any public, private, or tribal school employee or volunteer, county children with disabilities education board employee or volunteer, or cooperative educational service agency employee or volunteer, other than a health care professional, who in good faith renders emergency care to a pupil of a public, private, or tribal school is immune from civil liability for his or her acts or omissions in rendering such emergency care. The immunity from civil liability provided under this subsection is in addition to and not in lieu of that provided under s. 895.48 (1) .

(4) Written policies. Any school board, county children with disabilities education board, cooperative educational service agency or governing body of a private school whose employees or volunteers may be authorized to administer nonprescription drug products or prescription drugs to pupils under this section shall adopt a written policy governing the administration of nonprescription drug products and prescription drugs to pupils. In developing the policy, the school board, board, agency or governing body shall seek the assistance of one or more school nurses who are employees of the school board, board, agency or governing body or are providing services or consultation under s. 121.02 (1) (g) . The policy shall include procedures for obtaining and filing in the school or other appropriate facility the written instructions and consent required under sub. (2) (a) , for the periodic review of such written instructions by a registered nurse who is licensed under s. 441.06 or who holds a multistate license, as defined in s. 441.51 (2) (h) , issued in a party state, as defined in s. 441.51 (2) (k) , for the storing of nonprescription drug products and prescription drugs, and for record keeping, including documenting the administration of each dose, including errors.

(4m) Applicability to tribal school employees. The immunity under sub. (2) applies to a tribal school employee, administrator, or volunteer only if the governing body of the tribal school has adopted a written policy that complies with sub. (4) .

(5) Exemption. No employee except a health care professional may be required to administer a nonprescription drug product or prescription drug to a pupil under this section by any means other than ingestion.

(6) Training.

(a) Notwithstanding sub. (2) (a) 1. to 2r. , and subject to pars. (b) and (c) , no school bus driver, employee, or volunteer may administer any of the following nonprescription drug products or prescription drugs unless he or she has received training, approved by the department, in administering these nonprescription drug products and prescription drugs:

1. A nonprescription drug product or prescription drug product that must be injected into a pupil.

2. A nonprescription drug product or prescription drug product that must be inhaled by a pupil.

3. A nonprescription drug product or prescription drug product that must be rectally administered to a pupil.

4. A nonprescription drug product or prescription drug product that must be administered into a nasogastric tube.

5. A nonprescription drug product or prescription drug product that must be administered into a gastrostomy tube.

6. A nonprescription drug product or prescription drug product that must be administered into a jejunostomy tube.

(b) This subsection does not apply to health care professionals.

(c) The training required under par. (a) need not be approved by the department when the training is completed by a school bus driver that transports only pupils enrolled in a private school, an employee of a private school, or a volunteer in or for a private school.

History: 1983 a. 334 ; 1985 a. 146 s. 8 ; 1985 a. 218 ; 1987 a. 14 , 399 ; 1989 a. 56 , 102 , 105 ; 1991 a. 103 ; 1997 a. 164 ; 1999 a. 56 , 126 ; 2001 a. 16 , 83 ; 2007 a. 130 ; 2009 a. 160 , 302 ; 2011 a. 86 , 260 ; 2017 a. 12 , 29 , 135 ; 2021 a. 130 , 218 ; 2023 a. 27 ; 2025 a. 17 .