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Committee advances measure requiring CPR/AED certification for coaches and volunteers
Summary
Senator Greg Lehi and athletic trainers urged the committee to extend and standardize CPR/AED certification requirements for coaches, including nontraditional and volunteer coaches; the committee approved the proposal by voice vote.
Senator Greg Lehi and licensed athletic trainers presented a bill to ensure coaches and volunteer coaches maintain current CPR and AED certification and that districts provide training at no cost to employees and volunteers.
Jason Cates, a licensed athletic trainer at Cabot Public Schools, and other witnesses told the committee that Arkansas had been a national leader in school athletic health policies after a 2017 sudden cardiac arrest prevention law but that some areas have since slipped. The witnesses said volunteers and nontraditional hires were not always covered by existing policies and urged standardizing certification so anyone coaching in a school setting has current CPR/AED training.
Committee members asked whether training costs would fall on employees; witnesses said districts provide the training at no additional cost. Senators also discussed whether higher education athletics are covered; witnesses said NCAA/higher-ed oversight differs and this proposal addresses K–12.
The sponsor asked for a favorable vote; the committee advanced the bill on a voice vote, recorded in the transcript as “All in favor? Aye.” No roll-call tally was recorded in the hearing transcript.
Ending: The committee advanced the measure to standardize CPR/AED certification for coaches and volunteers; implementation details and district-level delivery will follow if the bill becomes law.
