Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H2556 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	1 of 1
2	2	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 82 FILED ON: 1/3/2025
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2556
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Marcus S. Vaughn
8	8	_________________
9	9	To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
10	10	Court assembled:
11	11	The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
12	12	An Act relative to AEDs for athletic fields.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Marcus S. Vaughn9th Norfolk1/3/2025 1 of 3
16	16	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 82 FILED ON: 1/3/2025
17	17	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2556
18	18	By Representative Vaughn of Wrentham, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2556) of
19	19	Marcus S. Vaughn that cities and towns and schools be required to provide and maintain
20	20	automated external defibrillators at athletic fields, parks and playgrounds. Public Health.
21	21	[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
22	22	SEE HOUSE, NO. 3924 OF 2023-2024.]
23	23	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
24	24	_______________
25	25	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
26	26	(2025-2026)
27	27	_______________
28	28	An Act relative to AEDs for athletic fields.
29	29	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
30	30	of the same, as follows:
31	31	1 SECTION 1. Chapter 45 of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the following
32	32	2section:-
33	33	3 Section 26. (a) Each municipality shall provide and maintain at least 1 automated external
34	34	4defibrillator, AED, at each athletic field, park and playground that is maintained by the
35	35	5municipality. The parks and recreation department of a municipality may, at its discretion,
36	36	6require additional AEDs be provided and maintained by the municipality at any athletic field,
37	37	7park or playground that is maintained by the municipality.
38	38	8 (b) Any municipality that is required to provide and maintain an AED pursuant to
39	39	9subsection (a) shall provide mandatory training on cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the use of 2 of 3
40	40	10AEDs to: all staff employed by its parks and recreation department; all sports coaches, umpires,
41	41	11referees and other sports officials who participate in athletic events held at athletic fields, parks
42	42	12or playgrounds maintained by the municipality; and any other group as determined by the parks
43	43	13and recreation department of the municipality.
44	44	14 (c) The parks and recreation department of each municipality subject to this section may
45	45	15contract on behalf of the municipality for the procurement of AEDs and the mandatory training
46	46	16on cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the use of AEDs required by subsection (b).
47	47	17 SECTION 2. Chapter 71 of the General Laws is hereby amended by striking out section
48	48	1854C and inserting in place thereof the following section:-
49	49	19 Section 54C. (a) Each school district, vocational district, charter school, approved private
50	50	20day or residential school and collaborative school shall provide and maintain at least 1 automated
51	51	21external defibrillator, AED, on site at each school facility where instruction is provided. Each
52	52	22school shall have on staff a person who is an AED provider having current certification in a
53	53	23training course in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and in the use of an AED in accordance with
54	54	24the standards established by the American Heart Association or the American National Red
55	55	25Cross.
56	56	26 (b) Each school district, vocational district, charter school, approved private day or
57	57	27residential school and collaborative school that maintains athletic fields for use in school-
58	58	28sponsored athletic events shall provide and maintain at least 1 AED in the area of the athletic
59	59	29fields. The school administration shall ensure that an AED provider is readily available at any
60	60	30school-sponsored athletic event. 3 of 3
61	61	31 (c) Any school system that is required to provide and maintain an AED pursuant to
62	62	32subsections (a) and (b) shall provide mandatory training on cardiopulmonary resuscitation and
63	63	33the use of AEDs to all staff employed by the school system, including sports coaches.
64	64	34 (d) If a school system is unable to comply with the requirements of this section, the
65	65	35superintendent of the school district, the administration of a private day or residential school or
66	66	36the board of trustees of a charter school, shall request a hardship waiver from the department of
67	67	37elementary and secondary education. The department of elementary and secondary education, in
68	68	38consultation with the department of public health, shall make available to public schools a list of
69	69	39grants and other funding sources that a public school may access to facilitate the purchase of
70	70	40AEDs.
71	71	41 (e) Any school staff member who, in good faith, attempts to render emergency care,
72	72	42including cardiopulmonary resuscitation or defibrillation, and does so without compensation,
73	73	43shall not be liable
74	74	44 for acts or omissions, other than gross negligence or willful or wanton misconduct,
75	75	45resulting from the attempt to render such emergency care.
76	76	46 (f) The department of elementary and secondary education, in consultation with the
77	77	47department of public health, shall establish regulations and guidelines for the implementation,
78	78	48training, support and supervision of this section.