Canonsburg was the venue for a public hearing held by the Pennsylvania Senate Majority Policy Committee. The hearing was centered on Senate Bill 978 that would require insurance companies and Medicaid to cover prescription protein additives from eggs and peanuts to prevent the development of allergies to eggs and peanuts. A 2015 study called the Learning Early About Peanut Allergy (LEAP) Study conducted by researchers at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia found that early, gradual introduction of eggs and peanuts to children as young as 4 months old cut the rate of those allergies by 81%. State Senator Camera Bartolotta is the prime sponsor of the bill. She says that research conducted by UPMC determined that it would cost one cent per member to institute this policy. That figure is far less than the several hundred dollars that an epinephrine pen costs. Aside from the obvious benefit of largely eliminating egg and peanut allergies, other medical testimony pointed out additional benefits. Dr. Kelly Cleary, Medical Director of the Food Allergy Research & Education Foundation stated that 1 in 3 children are bullied because of their food allergies, sometimes using the food to cause harm. Meenal Lele, CEO of Hanimune Therapeutics pointed to the economic pain caused by food allergies. Her son is allergic to eggs. She said her son that attends school in the Philadelphia School District, does not use eggs in the preparation of French toast because of food allergies. She said that there are 200,000 students not eating eggs that day because of food allergies. She equated that to a large loss to egg farmers in Pennsylvania. Another cost is job restrictions. Senator Bartolotta highlighted the testimony that pointed out that individuals with food allergies are not allowed to serve in the military. The committee chaired by State Senator David Argall is looking to move the bill quickly through the committee in order to hold a vote. No timeline for a vote is available.