GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
S 1
SENATE BILL 278
Short Title: The Smart Heart Act. (Public)
Sponsors: Senators Corbin and Hanig (Primary Sponsors).
Referred to: Rules and Operations of the Senate
March 13, 2025
*S278 -v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO REQUIRE PU BLIC SCHOOLS TO DEVE LOP CARDIAC EMERGENC Y 2
RESPONSE PLANS AND T O REQUIRE THE PLACEM ENT OF ONE AUTOMATIC 3
EXTERNAL DEFIBRILLATOR (AED) IN EACH PUBLIC SCHOOL. 4
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 5
SECTION 1. Article 25A of Chapter 115C of the General Statutes is amended by 6
adding a new section to read: 7
"§ 115C-375.25. Cardiac emergency response plans. 8
(a) The governing body of each public school unit shall develop a cardiac emergency 9
response plan (CERP) that addresses the appropriate use of school personnel to respond to 10
incidents involving individuals experiencing sudden cardiac arrest or a similar life-threatening 11
emergency while on school grounds. The CERP shall integrate evidence-based core elements, 12
such as those recommended by the American Heart Association or nationally recognized 13
recommendations or core elements. At a minimum, the CERP shall contain the following core 14
elements: 15
(1) Establish a cardiac emergency response team. 16
(2) Describe how the response team will be activated in response to a cardiac 17
emergency. 18
(3) Identify the school staff that will receive annual training on cardiopulmonary 19
resuscitation (CPR) and use of Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs). At 20
a minimum, school nurses and any faculty with supervisory responsibility 21
over students in any athletic situation shall be included in this training. 22
(4) Annual practice drills for the response team. 23
(5) Integrating local emergency service providers with the plan. 24
(b) The CERP shall be reviewed and updated annually. 25
(c) School officials shall work directly with local emergency service providers to 26
integrate the CERP into the community's EMS responder protocols. 27
(d) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules for the installation, use, and 28
maintenance of AEDs in public school units. At a minimum, the rules shall include provisions 29
for the following: 30
(1) Installation and placement of at least one AED in each school in a public 31
school unit. 32
(2) Appropriate AED placement shall be determined from guidelines set by the 33
American Heart Association or an organization focused on emergency 34
cardiovascular care but, at a minimum, shall be identified with appropriate 35 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 Senate Bill 278-First Edition
signage, be in an unlocked location, and able to be placed on a victim within 1
three minutes. 2
(3) Implementation of an appropriate training course for public school personnel 3
in the use of AEDs, including the role of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) 4
and first aid. 5
(4) Proper maintenance and testing of the AEDs. 6
(5) Coordination with appropriate licensed professionals in the oversight of 7
training on the AEDs." 8
SECTION 2.(a) G.S. 115C-47 is amended by adding a new subdivision to read: 9
"(70) Cardiac emergency response plan (CERP). – Local boards of education shall 10
adopt a CERP, including the installation, maintenance, and use of automatic 11
external defibrillators in accordance with G.S. 115C-375.25." 12
SECTION 2.(b) G.S. 115C-150.12C is amended by adding a new subdivision to 13
read: 14
"(37) Cardiac emergency response plan (CERP). – The board of trustees shall adopt 15
a CERP, including the installation, maintenance, and use of automatic external 16
defibrillators in accordance with G.S. 115C-375.25." 17
SECTION 2.(c) G.S. 115C-218.75 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 18
"(p) Cardiac emergency response plan (CERP). – Charter schools shall adopt a CERP, 19
including the installation, maintenance, and use of automatic external defibrillators in accordance 20
with G.S. 115C-375.25." 21
SECTION 2.(d) G.S. 115C-238.66 is amended by adding a new subdivision to read: 22
"(23) Cardiac emergency response plan (CERP). – Regional schools shall adopt a 23
CERP, including the installation, maintenance, and use of automatic external 24
defibrillators in accordance with G.S. 115C-375.25." 25
SECTION 2.(e) G.S. 116-11 is amended by adding a new subdivision to read: 26
"(15) Cardiac emergency response plan (CERP). – The Board of Governors shall 27
adopt a CERP, including the installation, maintenance, and use of automatic 28
external defibrillators in accordance with G.S. 115C-375.25, for any public 29
secondary schools under the Board's jurisdiction." 30
SECTION 3. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of 31
Public Instruction the sum of two million dollars ($2,000,000) in nonrecurring funds for the 32
2025-2026 fiscal year to be allocated by the Superintendent of Public Instruction to the governing 33
body of each public school unit to support the schools in purchasing AEDs, developing cardiac 34
emergency response plans as required under G.S. 115C-375.25, as enacted by this act, and 35
developing emergency action plans under G.S. 115C-407.58. 36
SECTION 4. This act becomes effective July 1, 2025, and applies beginning with 37
the 2025-2026 school year. 38