LESC bill analyses are available on the New Mexico Legislature website (www.nmlegis.gov). Bill analyses are
prepared by LESC staff for standing education committees of the New Mexico Legislature. LESC does not assume
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LEGISLATIVE EDUCATION STUDY COMMITTEE
BILL ANALYSIS
57th Legislature, 1st Session, 2025
Bill Number SB494 Sponsor Campos
Tracking Number .229447.1 Committee Referrals SEC/SFC
Short Title Rural School Defibrillator Training
Original Date 2/25/2025
Analyst Hicks Last Updated
BILL SUMMARY
Synopsis of Bill
Senate Bill 494 (SB494) would provide funding to the Public Education Department (PED) to allow the department to contract with a national organization that publishes official cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and emergency cardiovascular care guidance to provide
defibrillator training to school employees in rural school districts. FISCAL IMPACT
SB494 appropriates $150 thousand from the government results and opportunity program fund to PED for expenditure in FY26. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of FY26 shall revert to the government results and opportunity program fund.
SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES
Existing Defibrillator Requirements. New Mexico law does not require schools to have
automated external defibrillators (AEDs) onsite. Neither state law nor administrative rule
mandates AED training for all school personnel. However, Section 22- 13-31.2 NMSA 1978 and
administrative code (NMAC 6.63.8.8) require all school personnel who serve as athletic coaches
in grades seven through 12 to maintain valid certification in both AED use and CPR. Additionally,
as specified in Section 22 -13-1 NMSA 1978 and Section 22- 13-1.1 NMSA 1978, health education
courses in grades nine through 12 must include lifesaving skills training, which includes
recognizing the signs of a heart attack, using an AED, and performing the Heimlich maneuver.
Federal Law. In December 2024, President Biden signed the HEARTS Act of 2024 into law. This
law directs the United States Department of Health and Human Services to disseminate information on cardiomyopathy and AED use to state education agencies for further dissemination to local school employees and families. State education agencies are encouraged to create public
websites to house this information. The HEARTS Act also authorizes the creation of a federal grant program to support local educational agencies, including public charter schools, in purchasing AEDs and developing training programs for staff and students.
SB494 – Page 2
According to the American Heart Association , an organization focused on promoting
cardiovascular health, anywhere from 7,000 to 23 thousand cardiac arrests each year occur in children. About 39 percent of these youth cardiac arrests are sports related.
Emergency Service Response Times in Rural Areas. According to the American Red Cross , a
person’s chance of survival declines by about 10 percent for every minute CPR and defibrillation
is delayed. As noted in a 2017 research article featured in the JAMA Network peer -reviewed
medical journal, while the average response time for emergency medical service units is about seven minutes, that time increases to an average of 14 minutes in rural areas. SB494’s directive to PED to support the training of rural school employees in defibrillator use could help reduce the time between the start of an out-of-hospital cardiac event and defibrillation.
ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS
Under SB494, PED would need to establish a process to identify a suitable contractor to provide defibrillator training to rural school personnel. OTHER SIGNIFICANT ISSUES
State and National Context. In March 2024, Albuquerque Public Schools announced the removal
of AEDs in district schools. APS indicated the existing AEDs were too old to function properly. The district also noted a lack of funding to replace the removed AED units. Under New Mexico’s Cardiac Arrest Response Act (Section 24-10C NMSA 1978), any person
who acquires an AED must ensure a “trained targeted responder” is designated to oversee all
aspects of the AED program, such as training, emergency services coordination, protocol approval, and AED deployment strategies. Should SB494 become law, high schools in New Mexico would
also be required to comply with the terms of the Cardiac Arrest Response Act. In 2024, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed House Bill 47 into law, requiring the placement of
AEDs in every public and chartered nonpublic school in the state. The legislation also directs schools to develop AED emergency action plans and practice implementation of these plans quarterly. Ohio is one of the latest states to adopt laws governing AEDs and related response plans
on school grounds. News reports note more than 20 states currently have laws providing guidance
for or mandating AEDs and response plans in schools. RELATED BILLS
Related to House Bill 54, Defibrillators in Every High School, which would require an AED in
every high school in the state and providing associated training to all school employees. SOURCES OF INFORMATION
• LESC Files
• New Mexico Regional Education Cooperatives Association (NMRECA)
CLH/nd/mca/jkh