HSB 730

This bill requires school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, and charter schools to develop a cardiac emergency response plan, as defined in the bill, by July 1, 2025, that addresses the appropriate use of school personnel to respond to incidents involving an individual experiencing sudden cardiac arrest or a similar life-threatening emergency while on school grounds. The bill requires school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, and charter schools to work directly with local emergency service providers to integrate the cardiac emergency response plan into the local community’s emergency medical services protocols. The bill requires that each cardiac emergency response plan integrate evidence-based core elements and specifies guidelines that must be included in the plan, including guidelines for cardiac emergency response teams, automated external defibrillator placement and routine maintenance within each school, dissemination of the plan, maintaining ongoing training of designated staff regarding specified subjects, review and evaluation of the plan, and other matters. The bill authorizes school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, and charter schools to accept gifts, grants, and donations designated for the purchase of an automated external defibrillator and for the costs of inspection and maintenance of, and staff training in the use of, automated external defibrillators. The bill authorizes the department of education to establish procedures for monitoring compliance with the bill. _____ Subject to an appropriation of funds, the bill requires the department of education to establish a cardiac emergency response plan grant program to provide assistance to public, accredited nonpublic, and charter schools in implementing core elements of evidence-based cardiac emergency response plans. The bill specifies uses of the grants and directs the department to prioritize high-need schools, as defined in the bill, when awarding grants. The bill requires the state board of education to adopt rules to administer the program if an appropriation by the general assembly for the purpose of the program is enacted.3.36, as enacted by the bill.2. The inclusion of this specification is intended to reinstate the requirement of political subdivisions to comply with any state mandates included in the bill.