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Bill would require functional AEDs and cardiac emergency plans in middle/high schools
Summary
Vice Chair Noray's HB 7027 would require that all middle and high schools maintain on‑site functional AEDs and implement cardiac emergency response plans, with training, signage and maintenance requirements; medical and heart‑safety advocates told the committee the steps save lives.
House Bill 7027, sponsored by Vice Chair Noray, would expand existing requirements so that all middle and high schools — public and private — maintain on‑site functional automated external defibrillators (AEDs) and implement a cardiac emergency response plan. The legislation also requires signage, trained staff and routine maintenance.
Dr. Elizabeth Jacobs, a pediatric emergency medicine physician and founder of Heart Safe Schools Rhode Island, testified that preparation and trained responders make the difference between life and death. She recounted two Rhode Island cases: an adult who collapsed without a plan and later died, and a 17‑year‑old who collapsed during practice and survived after timely CPR and AED use. "That's the difference that this bill is about," Dr. Jacobs said, noting that readiness, signage and maintenance are evidence‑based and cost‑effective.
Megan Tucker of the American Heart Association said 27 states require AEDs for athletics and 23 already require them for schools; the bill was scaled back this year to exclude elementary schools. Vice Chair Noray emphasized training and a clear plan for visitors and volunteers who enter schools. Supporters asked the committee to move the bill forward; written testimony from coaches and athletic directors was submitted.
