Bill > H4719

This bill mandates that all school districts, vocational districts, charter schools, approved private day or residential schools, and collaborative schools must have at least one automated external defibrillator (AED) on site at each facility where instruction is provided, and that each school must have a staff member certified in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and AED use, with an AED and a trained provider readily available at any school-sponsored athletic event. An AED is a portable device that can analyze the heart's rhythm and deliver an electrical shock to help it resume a normal beat, which can be life-saving during sudden cardiac arrest. The bill also allows for hardship waivers if a school cannot meet these requirements, requiring them to submit a plan for compliance, and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, in conjunction with the Department of Public Health, will help schools find funding for AEDs and establish regulations for implementation and training. Furthermore, it provides legal protection for AED providers who act in good faith to render emergency care, shielding them from liability except in cases of gross negligence or willful misconduct. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is given until June 30, 2017, to create the necessary regulations, and the act will take effect on July 1, 2018.