House panel advances bill requiring school cardiac emergency plans and AED grants

House Bill 869, sponsored by Rep. Melissa Romano (R-Helena), would require every school with an athletic program in Montana to adopt a cardiac emergency response plan consistent with American Heart Association guidelines, train staff in CPR and AED use, keep a plainly marked, unlocked AED at athletic venues and require written medical clearance before a student returns to play after showing cardiac distress.

The bill’s sponsor said the measure is intended to reduce deaths from sudden cardiac arrest among student athletes by giving coaches and school staff clear authority and training to act immediately. Romano described the bill and a companion amendment during the April 8 House Education Committee hearing, asking the committee to consider the proposal with the amendment in hand.

The amendment creates a reimbursement grant program administered by the Office of Public Instruction (OPI). Under the amendment, the state appropriation would be matched by participating schools to purchase AEDs; Romano testified the combined funding could purchase “at least around 340 new AEDs statewide.” The amendment limits OPI administrative use to 5 percent of the appropriation and directs at least 95 percent of the funds to schools, and it makes the appropriation available for the current biennium only.

Proponents told the committee that AEDs and practiced emergency-action plans double or greatly increase the chance of survival in sudden cardiac arrest. Rob Watson, director for School Administrators of Montana, noted the bill’s timeline provision (a compliance date referenced in testimony as 2027) gives schools time to develop plans and place devices. The Montana High School Association (Greta Beeler) said many high schools already have EAPs and aligned training but that the bill would help middle and independent K‑8 schools that lack those systems. Witnesses from the American Heart Association, the Montana Medical Association and local athletic trainers testified in support, and multiple personal accounts were offered of lives saved after on‑site AED use.

Committee members asked about practical details: whether schools should staff portable AEDs for cross‑country practices that occur off campus; whether districts have registered existing AEDs with DPHHS (witnesses said the DPHHS registry lists about 175 AEDs but that more are likely unregistered); device cost (sponsors and witnesses estimated roughly $1,400 per unit and maintenance between about $2,000 and $2,500 over 10 years, though estimates varied); and monitoring or reporting requirements. Romano said the bill does not add a formal statewide reporting requirement but that OPI could provide reporting tied to the grant. Watson and other proponents described the amendment’s matching structure as a way to ensure local buy‑in and to maximize the impact of a limited appropriation.

The committee adopted the amendment and approved the bill in executive action; votes were taken by voice with proxies noted in the record. Representative Romano will carry the bill forward to the floor.

The measure does not prescribe enforcement penalties; it focuses on requiring plans, training and device availability and on offering limited, matched financial assistance to buy AEDs.