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Committee approves requirement for AED and CPR-trained staff in school buildings
Summary
House Bill 191, as amended, would require an automated external defibrillator (AED) and at least one person certified in CPR and AED use in each school building during the school day; the committee approved a technical amendment and passed the bill out of committee by recorded vote.
The House Education Committee approved House Bill 191, as amended, requiring each school building to have an automated external defibrillator (AED) and at least one person certified in CPR and AED use on site during the school day. The committee also adopted a technical amendment that removed the phrase "private schools" from the bill's language.
Representative Brennan, the bill sponsor, told the committee the measure is a bipartisan, life-saving initiative supported by groups including the American Heart Association, the NFL, CHOP and the American College of Cardiology. Brennan cited high survival improvements when AEDs are used promptly and urged passage so schools are ready to respond to cardiac emergencies on playing fields and elsewhere.
Brennan summarized statistics for the committee, saying nearly a half-million people suffer cardiac arrest each year in the U.S. and that survival rates are low for events outside hospitals but can improve markedly with a nearby AED and trained responders. He said the bill requires an emergency action plan, ongoing education and AED presence at athletic events.
A technical amendment offered by Chairman Schweier (A00465) removed language that could have been read to include postsecondary career-technical institutions; the amendment passed on a roll call with 26 yeas and 0 nays. The underlying bill was approved by the committee on a recorded vote: 23 yeas and 3 nays. The committee chair stated the bill will be referred to the full House for further consideration.
Committee members told the record they supported the bill while acknowledging concerns about mandates and funding; the sponsor and at least one member referenced funding assistance included in the bill language to help schools acquire AEDs. Members also shared personal anecdotes about on-site cardiac events to underscore the bill’s potential impact.
Why it matters: Sponsors described the bill as a public-health and safety measure designed to increase the chance of survival from sudden cardiac arrest at schools and school events. The committee adopted a technical change to narrow the bill’s coverage and passed it to the next stage in the legislative process.
