Senate committee hears first reading of bill to require hands-only CPR training in Alaska schools

Senate Bill 20, a measure to require hands-only cardiopulmonary resuscitation instruction and automated external defibrillator familiarization in Alaska public schools, received its first hearing Wednesday before the Alaska State Senate Education Committee.

Sponsor Senator Grama Jackson (District G, Anchorage) introduced the bill and was joined by staff and medical and emergency-services witnesses who said teaching CPR to students can increase bystander response and survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. The Department of Education and Early Development issued a fiscal note the committee described as zero net new cost to the department, and committee leadership said they would hold the bill for further work and potential amendments.

Supporters from Alaska’s emergency-response and medical community told the committee that sudden cardiac arrest is a major public-health problem and that brief, hands-only training is effective, inexpensive and readily available. Anchorage Fire Chief Doug Schrage said, "hands only CPR is key to improving the survival rate from sudden cardiac arrest in our state," and described how bystanders performing chest compressions before professional responders arrive can close the gap between collapse and advanced care. Jason Dolph, an Anchorage safety officer and long-time CPR instructor, testified that "time equals heart muscle" and cited studies showing far higher survival when CPR begins quickly.

Medical witnesses, including cardiologist Linda Ireland of the Alaska Heart and Vascular Institute, told the committee that most cardiac arrests occur at home and that teaching students prepares families and communities to respond. Kristen George, executive director for the American Heart Association in Alaska, said, "Nearly 90 percent of those who experience cardiac arrest outside of the hospital do not survive," and urged the committee to adopt school-based instruction.

Asked about the scope of training, witnesses and the sponsor described the bill’s focus as hands-only CPR with accompanying AED familiarization. Chief Schrage and others explained why hands-only CPR was proposed for broad school instruction: it reduces barriers for bystanders, emphasizes continuous, uninterrupted chest compressions, and aligns with widely used curricula that can be taught in a single class period. At least one public commenter expressed opposition to limiting instruction to hands-only CPR and urged that rescue breaths remain part of school training; that commenter identified himself as a retired paramedic and said conventional CPR, including rescue breaths, provides additional oxygenation and carbon-dioxide clearance in some cases.

Kelly Manning, deputy director at the Department of Education and Early Development, presented the fiscal note for OMB component 2796 and described the department’s expectation of zero additional cost for curriculum adoption because the bill relies on existing, freely available training materials; the department said it would issue regulations to guide local implementation. Committee members asked whether schools would be barred from offering more advanced certification; the sponsor said the bill establishes a floor, not a cap, and pledged to confirm the committee about that point before further action.

Committee discussion focused on implementation logistics, the evidence base for hands-only instruction, the role of AED training, and the practical benefits of normalizing CPR skills in school settings. Several committee members encouraged continued stakeholder work with the sponsor and staff. The bill was held for a future meeting and committee leadership set an amendment-notification deadline of March 31.

The hearing included invited testimony from practitioners and educators and public testimony by residents; no formal vote was taken. The committee plans to continue work with the sponsor on amendments and implementation details before scheduling further action.