Nevada committee hears bill to require CPR training, cardiac plans in all schools

Assemblymember Anati Nadim, sponsor of Assembly Bill 454, told the Senate Committee on Education that AB454 would require certified cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training for every coach, manager and person involved in school athletic activities and would add a cardiac emergency response component to school emergency operations plans statewide.

The bill, dubbed the Smart Heart Law, applies to public, charter and private high schools and expands existing statute that required CPR training for physical education teachers to all school athletic personnel. Nadim said the bill also clarifies that students acting as managers would not be mandated to hold the certification and that the bill’s language will remove the word “club” from one subsection to avoid inadvertently covering community-run groups not sanctioned by districts.

Why it matters: Proponents said quick CPR and use of an automated external defibrillator (AED) are decisive in sudden cardiac arrest. “An emergency action plan is critical. It’s a life‑saving tool,” said Dr. Alfred Danielian, director of sports cardiology at Mountain View Hospital, who testified with the sponsor. Danielian summarized the clinical case for the bill: survival after cardiac arrest decreases roughly 7–10 percent for each minute without defibrillation; after about five minutes chances of survival fall to roughly half, and after 10 minutes they are “almost 0” without immediate intervention. He said, however, that timely CPR and AED use can triple survival rates.

Supporters from school districts and associations told the committee they backed the concept with the proposed amendments. Nathaniel Wall of Clark County School District said CCSD supports AB454 with the amendments under discussion. Tom Clark of the Nevada Association of School Boards said many districts — notably Clark and Washoe — already include CPR/AED training in school codes or budgets, but that AB454 would standardize the requirement statewide so rural and smaller districts are covered.

Public testimony included accounts from families affected by sudden cardiac arrest. Entrada Hughes, father of Ashari Hughes, who died after collapsing during a flag football game, called in to support the bill: “If we educate our schools and our community to have a plan to identify and react to these problems immediately, it will help save multiple lives,” he said.

Questions and clarifications: Committee members asked who counts as a “medical professional” under certain sections and who would provide training. Committee counsel Cameron Newton said Nevada Revised Statutes do not contain a single definition and suggested the bill could reference or define a list (for example, cardiologists, paramedics, nurse practitioners, physician assistants). Leah Cartwright, a bill staffer, said the amendment initially specified cardiologists but was broadened so sponsors could align the final definition with existing statutory language in education or health chapters.

On training logistics and cost, Cartwright and supporters said county school districts already provide training in many places and that training is available from Red Cross, American Heart Association, the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association (NIAA), and frequently from local fire and EMS departments; NDE staff and paramedics have assisted districts in creating emergency plans. Sponsors said they plan to return in 2027 to pursue funding for AED distribution, and AB454 is intended to establish the training and planning baseline now.

The committee recessed testimony without taking a vote on AB454.

Ending: The bill sponsor asked the committee to support AB454 so every school has “a fighting chance for survival.” The hearing record shows broad support from school boards, district staff and family members; the committee directed technical clarifications on the definitions and on the draft amendment language.