Senate Education Committee advances amended bill on AED access, preserves standards while removing immediate universal mandate

The Colorado Senate Education Committee advanced Senate Bill 191 as amended, preserving requirements that any AEDs held by public schools meet nationally recognized standards for placement, maintenance and public accessibility while removing the bill’s original mandate that all high school athletic events statewide (on- and off-campus) must have an AED immediately.

As introduced, SB191 would have required AEDs to be available and placed according to nationally recognized standards on school-owned properties beginning in the 2026–27 school year and at all locations where school athletics occur beginning in 2027–28. Sponsors told the committee the introduced bill aimed to protect young athletes from sudden cardiac arrest, which witnesses and sponsors described as the leading cause of death among young athletes.

Senator Paul Roberts (sponsor) told the committee that AEDs are life-saving devices but are “rendered useless if they are hidden from the public behind locked doors or the battery is dead,” and he emphasized adherence to national guidelines so devices are unlocked, visible and maintained. Senator Rachel Judah (co-prime sponsor) said the work is “not done” but that the amendment reflects fiscal realities facing school districts.

A wide range of witnesses — including the National Football League’s vice president for public policy, the American Heart Association, Children’s Hospital Colorado, the American Red Cross, Starting Hearts and survivor families — gave testimony for the bill. Kenneth Edmonds of the NFL and the Smart Heart Sports Coalition urged adoption of evidence-based policies that include emergency action plans, CPR/AED education for school staff and accessible AEDs. Julie Wilkins, clinical manager of the school health team at Children’s Hospital Colorado, told the committee that survival falls about 10 percentage points for each minute defibrillation is delayed, calling for medical response teams and regular mock drills.

Survivors and parents described personal events in which on-site AEDs or lack of immediate access changed outcomes. Jordan O’Connell described collapsing during a junior varsity football game and credited a trainer and an AED with saving his life; Ralph Macaron recounted losing his 15-year-old son, Rafe, after an on-field cardiac event and said delayed access and locked gates prevented timely defibrillation.

The bill’s amendment (L003) removes the immediate statewide mandate for AEDs at all athletic events but preserves provisions that require public schools that have AEDs to follow evidence-based standards ensuring devices are unlocked, posted and maintained and that facilities have cardiac emergency response plans. Committee witnesses and sponsors also supported striking statutory language that required lists of authorized AED users, arguing modern AEDs and public-health practice allow any bystander to use the device.

Committee members and multiple witnesses noted the state’s difficult budget environment and offered the amendment as a compromise; several speakers urged districts to accept donated or discounted AEDs and listed programs that place or discount devices for schools. Rural school representatives testified that blanket, unfunded mandates would cause hardship, and the sponsors said they intend to continue seeking resources and future legislative steps.

Senator Marchman moved to advance SB191 as amended to the Committee of the Whole with a favorable recommendation; the committee voted unanimously to do so.

Next steps: SB191 as amended will be considered by the full Senate committee of the whole; sponsors said they intend to continue pursuing additional measures and funding to expand AED access and readiness in subsequent sessions.