Delegate Eileen Filler-Corn’s (D-41) bill, HB 475 passed the House of Delegates unanimously on Monday. The bipartisan bill requires the Department of Education to review regulations and suggest revisions to existing guidelines relating to a return to learn protocol for students who have been treated for pediatric cancer.
“These students are coming back, often, from a brutal regimen of chemotherapy or radiation or surgery or all of the above. Until now, students who have courageously fought back – against both the disease and the treatment – have had difficulty returning to their classroom. My bill, HB 475 seeks to change that. It will help parents know what questions to ask. It will help schools be prepared for a student’s return and most importantly ensure a student’s transition back to school is as smooth as possible,” said Filler-Corn.
Pediatric cancer survivors can face a bevy of complications upon achieving remission. Cognitive late effects impact attention and concentration, short term memory and processing speed. The physical late effects may include fatigue, low stamina, hearing loss or neuropathy in the hands or feet, along with numerous others.
Alma Morgan, an educational consultant with VCU Medical Center, who specializes in oncology and hematology patients was extremely pleased with the bill’s passage.
“While the survival rate for childhood cancer has improved significantly, we have to be educated on the late effects of treatment and how the late effects impede academic success. Many times these late effects do not show up until several years after treatment…The Return to Learn protocols can educate both staff and parents, as well as address specific modifications and accommodations for all children returning to school following treatment,” said Morgan.
The bill builds on Filler-Corn’s previous work, when her bill which placed language for a "Return to Learn" protocol into the Virginia Board of Education’s concussion guidelines was signed by the governor in 2014. The legislation requires school personnel to accommodate the gradual return to the classroom of a student suffering a concussion. The appropriate time away is based on a recommendation of the student’s doctor, in consultation with school administrators.
HB 475 will be heard by the Virginia Senate after crossover on Tuesday, Feb. 16.