Committee adopts delay and advances school cardiac emergency bill to floor

The House Committee on Education adopted the dash-1 amendment to House Bill 4160, which postpones the bill's original effective date by one year, and then moved HB 4160 as amended to the House floor with a due-pass recommendation.

Staff described HB 4160 as requiring schools to adopt a cardiac emergency response plan aligned with national standards, including requirements for placement, identification and maintenance of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) and training for athletic coaches and other staff in CPR and AED use. The staff summary said the underlying bill would take effect July 1, 2026, and the dash-1 amendment delays that effective date by one year. The committee considered but did not adopt an appropriation amendment; the chair chose not to move the appropriation amendment and instead asked the committee to adopt the dash-1 amendment.

Representative Dobson moved adoption of the dash-1 amendment; the committee approved the amendment without recorded objection. Representative Dobson then moved HB 4160, as amended, to the floor with a due-pass recommendation. The committee voted on the motion; the chair announced the motion carries and asked Representative Juncker to carry the bill on the floor.

Next step: HB 4160 will proceed to the House floor; fiscal and implementation details may be fleshed out in subsequent committee or floor debate.