Zacky Muñoz
Zacky Muñoz is an American author and activist known for his food allergy awareness and advocacy. He is the FARE Ambassador and the author of The Zacky Bill and, which became California state law in2022 and2023, respectively.
Biography
Zacky Muñoz is the son of Priscilla and Zachary Muñoz with another younger male sibling.Muñoz had suffered from eczema since birth and was diagnosed with allergies to nuts, sesame seeds, shellfish, legumes, and avocados. When he was in first grade, he had two anaphylactic reactions at school. In the first incident he ate a breadstick sprinkled with sesame seeds. The second was when the usual allergen-free croutons in his salad were switched to one with allergen. The two episodes spurred Zacky and his mother, Priscilla, to work on proposed laws that focused on food allergy safety in school.
Assembly bills
Zacky Bill
The Zacky Bill, also known as Assembly Bill2640, was passed by the California Legislature and signed into California law by Governor Gavin Newsom in2022. This guide helps school administrators, nurses, staffs, and families navigate the daily calculations, options, and protections available to school children with food allergies. The Zacky Bill is known as the California Resource Guide and is available on the California Department of Education website.Muñoz SAFE Act
In 2023, Muñoz championed the, known as Assembly Bill1651, which stands for Student Allergy Frameworkfor Emergencies. This bill requires schools to store epinephrine in an accessible location, like an EpiPen, and provide training to staff on how to use them. Muñoz advocated and lobbied for the bill throughout its passage through the California state legislature.The Zacky FAST Act
In November 2013, the US federal government passed the School Access to Emergency Epinephrine Act, encouraging states to adopt laws requiring schools to have epinephrine auto-injectors for use by students. State legislation requiring schools to stock epinephrine auto-injectors was introduced in California in 2014, along with Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Michigan, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Carolina, Nevada, Utah and Virginia.In 2024, Muñoz introduced the Zacky Food Allergy Safety Treatment Act, aimed at promoting food allergy safety in California. This bill would provide schools with options to have the latest FDA-approved epinephrine delivery methods accessible to students with severe allergic reactions. This includes epinephrine auto-injectors, nasal sprays, or other delivery systems.