Senate unanimously approves bill to improve AED access and maintenance in school sport settings

Senate Bill 191 passed the Colorado Senate on March 25 by a unanimous voice/record vote. Sponsors and supporters framed the legislation as an effort to make AEDs more accessible, maintained and usable at school sporting events and other activities where students might experience cardiac arrest.

Senator Roberts, speaking for the measure, said a broader version of the bill that would have required AEDs at every school sporting event was narrowed because of concerns about unfunded mandates for school districts. “I am sorry that we had to water this bill down,” Roberts said, adding that the bill still improves access by updating standards for where AEDs are stored and how they are maintained.

Senator Judah described testimony in committee from students saved by AEDs and from parents whose children were not saved, saying the common themes in testimony were accessibility and training: “For those less fortunate, it was locked up, unaccessible, and people didn't know how to use it.” Several senators urged districts to work with local emergency services to obtain AEDs and to prioritize access for sporting events.

The floor recorded a final vote of 35 ayes, 0 noes. Supporters said the bill strikes a balance by improving accessibility and maintenance standards while avoiding an unfunded statewide mandate that some districts had opposed.