DENVER ” Gov. Bill Ritter has signed a bill aimed at helping students with allergies.

Under the measure signed Thursday, Colorado health and education departments have until Jan. 1 to come up with a statewide policy to work with those students. It needs to include a standard form for parents to let schools know about their child’s allergies as well as training so teachers and other staffers can respond to allergic reactions.

Sen. Paula Sandoval, D-Denver, said parents of children with allergies are literally putting the lives of their children in the hands of teachers when they drop them off at school.

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A federal study released last fall found that food allergies in American children seem to be on the rise with allergies now affecting about 3 million kids.