Zacky Muñoz

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Wikipedia

Zacky Muñoz
Photo of young boy with short black hair speaking at podium in front of building. He is wearing a business suit with blue suit jacket, necktie with alternating diagonal red and blue stripes, and a blue baseball cap turned backwards.
Muñoz speaks in 2023 about the passage of a California law
Born2012 (age 12–13)
Known for

Zacky Muñoz (born 2012) is an American author and activist known for his food allergy awareness and advocacy.‍[1] He is the FARE Ambassador and the author of The Zacky Bill‍[2]‍[3] and Muñoz SAFE Act, which became California state law in 2022 and 2023, respectively.‍[4]‍[5]‍[6]

Biography

Zacky Muñoz is the son of Priscilla and Zachary Muñoz with another younger male sibling.‍[3]‍[7]

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.‍[3]‍[6]‍[8] In the first incident he ate a breadstick sprinkled with sesame seeds.‍[9] 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.‍[4]

Assembly bills

Zacky Bill

The Zacky Bill, also known as Assembly Bill 2640, was passed by the California Legislature‍[3] and signed into California law by Governor Gavin Newsom in 2022.‍[5]‍[6]‍[10] This guide helps school administrators, nurses, staffs, and families navigate the daily calculations, options, and protections available to school children with food allergies.‍[7] The Zacky Bill is known as the California Resource Guide and is available on the California Department of Education website.‍[3]

Muñoz SAFE Act

In 2023, Muñoz championed the Muñoz SAFE Act,‍[5] known as Assembly Bill 1651, which stands for Student Allergy Framework for Emergencies.‍[7] 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.‍[6]

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.[11] State legislation requiring schools to stock epinephrine auto-injectors was introduced in California in 2014,[12] along with Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Michigan, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Carolina, Nevada, Utah and Virginia.[12]

In 2024, Muñoz introduced the Zacky Food Allergy Safety Treatment (FAST) Act, aimed at promoting food allergy safety in California.‍[13] This bill would provide schools with options to have the latest FDA-approved epinephrine delivery methods accessible to students with severe allergic reactions.‍[14] This includes epinephrine auto-injectors, nasal sprays, or other delivery systems.

Food allergy advocacy and awareness

Muñoz is featured in food allergy series videos from FARE, such as Kids Cuisine Remixand Zacky's Kitchen,‍[15] and a Back-to-School campaign.‍[1] Muñoz was also seen on Arnold Schwarzenegger's social media outlets.‍[16]‍[17]

Recognition

In 2023, Muñoz accepted a commendation from Supervisor Kathryn Barger in Los Angeles.‍[7]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Kid Cuisine Remix". FARE. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
  2. ↑ "CA Schools Now Safer for Food Allergy Students". FARE (Press release). Retrieved February 10, 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "State Legislature Passes "The Zacky Bill" Named After Pasadena Boy, Aiming to Keep Students With Food Allergies Safe at School". Pasadena Now. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
  4. 1 2 State of California (September 30, 2022). "Governor Newsom Issues Legislative Update 9.29.22". Governor of California (Press release). Sacramento, CA: self-published. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
  5. 1 2 3 Kennedy, Saskia (November 2, 2023). "Muñoz SAFE Act Championed by 11-year-old Zacky Muñoz signed into law by Governor Newsom". Fullerton Observer. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Schallhorn, Kaitlyn (September 4, 2023). "Sacramento Snapshot: 11-year-old with food allergies lobbying the legislature for help". Orange County Register. Archived from the original on February 10, 2024. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Rivera, Anissa (August 10, 2023). "This 11-year-old just got a bill passed in Sacramento. Here's why". East Bay Times. Archived from the original on February 10, 2024. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
  8. ↑ Razo, Alex (August 22, 2022). "Meet Zacky, the 10-Year-Old Advocate for School Kids with Food Allergies". iHeart. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
  9. ↑ Aubrey, Allison (August 30, 2023). "A sesame allergy law has made it harder to avoid the seed. Here's why". NPR. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
  10. ↑ "California Assembly Bill 2640 ("Zacky's Bill") Signed into Law by Governor Newsom". FARE (Press release). Retrieved February 12, 2024.
  11. ↑ "School Access to Emergency Epinephrine Federal Legislation". foodallergyawareness.org.
  12. 1 2 "SB-1266 Pupil health: epinephrine auto-injectors.(2013-2014)". leginfo.legislature.ca.gov.
  13. ↑ Mai, Edyn Jada (May 2, 2024). "12-year-old Zacky Muñoz is ready to knock out food allergies with his third piece of legislation". Fullerton Observer. Retrieved July 24, 2025.
  14. ↑ Langowska, Victoria (April 22, 2024). "California child advocate back at state capitol to champion new allergy safety bill". Healio. Retrieved July 24, 2025.
  15. ↑ "Feasting With FARE". FARE. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
  16. ↑ "Instagram". Instagram. November 21, 2023. Retrieved February 13, 2024.[self-published]
  17. ↑ Schnitzel, Arnold (November 21, 2023). "TikTok - Make Your Day". TikTok. Retrieved February 13, 2024.[self-published]