Bill > S2449

This bill requires schools, defined as day schools overseen by a school committee or conducted under specific state laws, to provide and maintain at least one automated external defibrillator (AED) on-site, subject to available funding and guidelines set by the commissioner of elementary and secondary education in consultation with the commissioner of public health. An AED is a portable device that can analyze a person's heart rhythm and deliver an electrical shock to restore a normal rhythm, and is defined in section 12V½ of chapter 112. The bill also mandates that schools establish guidelines for the number of trained AED providers, who are individuals trained to use an AED as defined in section 12V½ of chapter 112, to ensure immediate access during emergencies. Furthermore, when schools host or approve curricular or extracurricular events, including athletic contests, at their facilities or elsewhere, at least one AED and a trained AED provider must be present. The bill clarifies that AED providers or school employees acting in good faith to provide emergency treatment with an AED are protected from liability as defined in section 12V of chapter 112. Schools are encouraged to seek funding for AEDs through various sources like grants, donations, and fundraising, and the department of elementary and secondary education will provide a list of potential funding sources. The commissioner of elementary and secondary education will annually collect confirmation of compliance from school districts and assist non-compliant schools in developing action plans, including directing them to funding opportunities. Schools that remain non-compliant will be required to notify the public through prominent notices on their premises and websites, or through mailings to parents.