| 1 | 1 | | |
|---|
| 2 | 2 | | |
|---|
| 3 | 3 | | |
|---|
| 4 | 4 | | |
|---|
| 5 | 5 | | 2025 -- S 0391 |
|---|
| 6 | 6 | | ======== |
|---|
| 7 | 7 | | LC001405 |
|---|
| 8 | 8 | | ======== |
|---|
| 9 | 9 | | S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D |
|---|
| 10 | 10 | | IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
|---|
| 11 | 11 | | JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2025 |
|---|
| 12 | 12 | | ____________ |
|---|
| 13 | 13 | | |
|---|
| 14 | 14 | | A N A C T |
|---|
| 15 | 15 | | RELATING TO EDUCATION -- SCHOOL TRAUMA KIT ACT |
|---|
| 16 | 16 | | Introduced By: Senators Sosnowski, DiPalma, Britto, Lawson, and Murray |
|---|
| 17 | 17 | | Date Introduced: February 26, 2025 |
|---|
| 18 | 18 | | Referred To: Senate Education |
|---|
| 19 | 19 | | |
|---|
| 20 | 20 | | |
|---|
| 21 | 21 | | It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: |
|---|
| 22 | 22 | | SECTION 1. Title 16 of the General Laws entitled "EDUCATION" is hereby amended by 1 |
|---|
| 23 | 23 | | adding thereto the following chapter: 2 |
|---|
| 24 | 24 | | CHAPTER 91.2 3 |
|---|
| 25 | 25 | | SCHOOL TRAUMA KIT ACT 4 |
|---|
| 26 | 26 | | 16-91.2-1. Trauma kits in educational settings. 5 |
|---|
| 27 | 27 | | (a) Every public and private elementary and secondary school within the State of Rhode 6 |
|---|
| 28 | 28 | | Island shall provide and maintain clearly visible and easily accessible trauma kits as described in 7 |
|---|
| 29 | 29 | | subsection (b) of this section. The quantity and type of trauma kits shall be determined by the 8 |
|---|
| 30 | 30 | | commissioner of education, in consultation with the director of the department of health, after due 9 |
|---|
| 31 | 31 | | consideration of trauma-type first aid kits recommended by the Department of Homeland Security, 10 |
|---|
| 32 | 32 | | and shall be adequate to ensure ready and appropriate access for use during emergencies. 11 |
|---|
| 33 | 33 | | (b) Each trauma kit shall include at a minimum the following supplies: tourniquet; gloves 12 |
|---|
| 34 | 34 | | and marker; scissors; instructions; compression bandages; and bleeding control bandages and any 13 |
|---|
| 35 | 35 | | other supplies determined necessary by the director pursuant to the provisions of subsection (a) of 14 |
|---|
| 36 | 36 | | this section. 15 |
|---|
| 37 | 37 | | (c) Whenever school facilities are used for school-sponsored or school-approved curricular 16 |
|---|
| 38 | 38 | | or extracurricular activities, and whenever a school-sponsored athletic contest is held at any 17 |
|---|
| 39 | 39 | | location, the school officials and administrators responsible for the school facility or athletic contest 18 |
|---|
| 40 | 40 | | shall ensure the presence of at least one person who is properly trained in the administration of first 19 |
|---|
| 41 | 41 | | |
|---|
| 42 | 42 | | |
|---|
| 43 | 43 | | LC001405 - Page 2 of 3 |
|---|
| 44 | 44 | | aid and use of the trauma kit. 1 |
|---|
| 45 | 45 | | (d) No person, whether acting in an official capacity or as a private volunteer, who 2 |
|---|
| 46 | 46 | | gratuitously renders emergency assistance to a person who experiences a traumatic bleeding injury, 3 |
|---|
| 47 | 47 | | shall be liable for civil damages for any personal injuries which result from acts or omissions by 4 |
|---|
| 48 | 48 | | the person rendering the emergency care, which may constitute ordinary negligence; provided, 5 |
|---|
| 49 | 49 | | however that, this immunity applies only to: 6 |
|---|
| 50 | 50 | | (1) Persons who have been trained in accordance with standards promulgated by the US 7 |
|---|
| 51 | 51 | | Department of Homeland Security or the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma 8 |
|---|
| 52 | 52 | | (ACS COT) or an equivalent program as approved by the department of health; 9 |
|---|
| 53 | 53 | | (2) Persons providing approved training in traumatic bleeding injuries; 10 |
|---|
| 54 | 54 | | (3) Property lessees and owners where the emergency assistance occurs; and 11 |
|---|
| 55 | 55 | | (4) The owners of the actual life-saving equipment. 12 |
|---|
| 56 | 56 | | (e) Immunity from civil liability pursuant to the provisions of subsection (d) of this section, 13 |
|---|
| 57 | 57 | | shall not extend or apply to acts or omissions constituting intentional harm or willful, wanton or 14 |
|---|
| 58 | 58 | | gross negligence. 15 |
|---|
| 59 | 59 | | (f) The director of the department of health is hereby authorized to promulgate rules and 16 |
|---|
| 60 | 60 | | regulations necessary to implement the provisions of this section. 17 |
|---|
| 61 | 61 | | (g) Any elementary or secondary school may accept funding for the trauma kits from 18 |
|---|
| 62 | 62 | | grants, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, parent-teacher organizations, private parties and 19 |
|---|
| 63 | 63 | | government entities. 20 |
|---|
| 64 | 64 | | SECTION 2. This act shall take effect on January 1, 2027. 21 |
|---|
| 65 | 65 | | ======== |
|---|
| 66 | 66 | | LC001405 |
|---|
| 67 | 67 | | ======== |
|---|
| 68 | 68 | | |
|---|
| 69 | 69 | | |
|---|
| 70 | 70 | | LC001405 - Page 3 of 3 |
|---|
| 71 | 71 | | EXPLANATION |
|---|
| 72 | 72 | | BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL |
|---|
| 73 | 73 | | OF |
|---|
| 74 | 74 | | A N A C T |
|---|
| 75 | 75 | | RELATING TO EDUCATION -- SCHOOL TRAUMA K IT ACT |
|---|
| 76 | 76 | | *** |
|---|
| 77 | 77 | | This act would require that every elementary and secondary school within the State of 1 |
|---|
| 78 | 78 | | Rhode Island, whether they are public or privately run, provide and maintain clearly visible and 2 |
|---|
| 79 | 79 | | easily accessible trauma kits. This act would also provide for immunity for trained persons that 3 |
|---|
| 80 | 80 | | gratuitously render emergency assistance to a person who experiences a traumatic bleeding injury. 4 |
|---|
| 81 | 81 | | This act would take effect on January 1, 2027. 5 |
|---|
| 82 | 82 | | ======== |
|---|
| 83 | 83 | | LC001405 |
|---|
| 84 | 84 | | ======== |
|---|
| 85 | 85 | | |
|---|