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Subcommittee amends and advances bill requiring bleeding‑control kits at schools; limits training mandate
Summary
The subcommittee amended and reported House Bill 1,700, which requires school boards to develop a bleeding‑control program and place kits in schools. Members removed language repeating a specific civil‑liability exemption and narrowed training requirements; the amended bill passed the subcommittee 5‑0.
Lede: The Senate public education subcommittee amended and reported House Bill 1,700 requiring school boards to develop bleeding‑control programs, place bleeding‑control kits in schools, and provide training for staff. The committee removed language that would have repeated a specific civil‑liability clause and narrowed the training mandate.
Nut graf: Sponsors said bleeding is a leading cause of preventable death after injury and that on‑site bleeding‑control kits and short hands‑on training can save lives while first responders are en route. The committee considered liability language and how to target training to staff most likely to be able to use the kits in an emergency.
Details: Delegate Clark presented HB 1,700, which originally required bleeding‑control kits in each school and training for school employees. Committee members asked who should take training and whether SROs (school resource officers) and other personnel already receive similar instruction. The courts committee had struck a specific liability provision in a substitute; committee counsel explained Virginia’s general good‑Samaritan and related civil‑immunity code sections apply. After a floor discussion about who should receive training and concern about overburdening classroom teachers, the subcommittee voted to remove lines 290–294 (language specifying liability protections) and to keep a narrower training mandate. The committee then voted to report the bill as amended; recorded vote 5‑0.
Context and limitations: Committee members emphasized the need to target training to staff who can access kits during an emergency (for example, SROs or staff with emergency responsibilities) rather than broadly assigning training to all classroom teachers. Several members noted that some first aid and tourniquet training is already covered in existing first‑aid requirements.
Ending: HB 1,700 was reported as amended and will move to the full Senate. Sponsors and supporters said the change narrows liability language and clarifies training scope; reporters should confirm final statutory text for the precise immunity language if the bill becomes law.
