Committee advances bill requiring cardiac emergency plans and AEDs in schools

The House Health and Human Services Committee voted to advance Senate Bill 244, a measure to make cardiac emergency response plans and appropriate numbers of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) a statutory requirement for public and charter schools.

Senator Stevenson, with American Heart Association staff in attendance, told the committee that timely intervention is critical — survivability after out‑of‑hospital cardiac arrest falls roughly 10 percentage points with each passing minute without intervention. The bill would require each school to adopt a cardiac emergency response plan (CERP) and allow school boards to administer grants to help schools purchase AEDs and fund training.

Committee members asked whether AED purchase and maintenance costs drove the bill’s fiscal note; staff said the fiscal estimate covers equipment purchase where needed, training for school cardiac response teams, and ongoing maintenance (including battery replacement and readiness checks). The bill includes a prioritization for high‑risk schools (those with greater than 50% of students qualifying for reduced-price lunch) to receive funding first.

Representative Ward moved the bill forward with a favorable recommendation; the committee approved SB244 by voice vote.