DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part of
the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute part of
the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
Willmott HB No. 542
Abstract: Requires instruction relative to CPR and automated external defibrillators to be
integrated into the curriculum of an existing required course of study in public high
schools.
Proposed law requires the governing authorities of public schools enrolling students in grades
nine through 12 to provide instruction relative to cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and the
use of an automated external defibrillator (AED). Requires the integration of such instruction
into the curriculum of an existing required course, such as health education, physical education,
or another required course deemed appropriate by the school governing authority and requires the
instruction to include the following:
(1)An instructional program developed by the American Heart Assoc. (AHA) or the
American Red Cross (ARC) or that is nationally recognized and based on the most
current national evidence-based emergency cardiovascular care guidelines for CPR and
AED.
(2)Hands-on training for students relative to the psychomotor skills necessary to perform
CPR.
Authorizes public school governing authorities to partner with emergency medical technicians,
paramedics, physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists, police officers, deputy sheriffs, or
firefighters, each of whom must be currently licensed, certified, or commissioned according to
his respective occupation in order to participate in providing such instruction, as well as
representatives of the AHA or ARC or other similarly qualified individuals. Provides that a
classroom teacher is not required to be a certified trainer of CPR to facilitate, provide, or oversee
this instruction.
Prohibits the instruction required by proposed law to result in the certification of students in CPR
or the use of an AED. Should a school governing authority provide, separate and apart from the
instruction required by proposed law, a training program intended to result in such certification,
requires that the instructor be authorized to provide instruction for certification by the AHA,
ARC, or a similar nationally recognized association. Further requires a school governing
authority to obtain parental consent prior to the certification of any student under the age of 18
through such a training program.
Provides that the physical presence of an AED in the classroom is not required and that the instruction need only provide general information on the use and importance of automated
external defibrillators.
Requires public school governing authorities to adopt rules and regulations necessary for
proposed law implementation and the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education to
establish a procedure to monitor the compliance of public school governing authorities with
proposed law. Proposed law is applicable to all public schools enrolling students in grades nine
through 12, including charter schools.
(Adds R.S. 17:81(X) and 3996(B)(34))