SOUTH CAROLINA REVENUE AND FISCAL AFFAIRS OFFICE
S
TATEMENT OF ESTIMATED FISCAL IMPACT
WWW.RFA.SC.GOV • (803)734-3793
This fiscal impact statement is produced in compliance with the South Carolina Code of Laws and House and Senate rules. The focus of
the analysis is on governmental expenditure and revenue impacts and may not provide a comprehensive summary of the legislation.
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H. 3831
Fiscal Impact Summary
This bill requires each public school or charter school authorizer to develop a cardiac emergency
response plan (CERP) that addresses the appropriate use of school personnel to respond to
incidents involving an individual experiencing sudden cardiac arrest or a similar life‑threatening
emergency while on school grounds or at a school-sponsored athletic practice or event. Also, the
bill requires the State Board of Education to develop standards, practices, and procedures that
must be adopted by districts and schools when developing a CERP and utilizing training in
accordance with nationally recognized standards. Subject to funding by the General Assembly or
the S.C. Department of Education (SCDE), appropriate school staff must be trained in first aid,
CPR, and automated external defibrillator (AED) that meets standards adopted by the State
Board. Additionally, subject to funding by the General Assembly or SCDE, each public school
must ensure the presence of an AED onsite and within certain proximity of school athletic
venues, must test and maintain each AED, and must ensure that all athletic coaches obtain and
maintain certain training. Further, the bill allows SCDE to pursue public and private sources of
funding to support the implementation of the bill and assist districts and charter schools in
applying for federal funds for items associated with the bill.
SCDE indicates that the bill will increase the agency’s recurring expenses by approximately
$141,000 beginning in FY 2025-26. Of this amount, $120,000 is for 1.0 FTE to manage the
responsibilities of the bill, and $21,000 is for recurring operating expenses.
This bill is not expected to have an expenditure impact on the state agency schools. The bill
specifies that the equipment and training are subject to funding by the General Assembly or
SCDE Further, the Governor’s School for Agriculture at John de la Howe and the Governor’s
School for Science and Mathematics indicate that any expenses to implement the provisions of
the bill can be managed with existing appropriations. Based on these responses, we anticipate
that the Wil Ou Gray Opportunity School, the Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities,
and the School for the Deaf and Blind can manage the costs to develop the CERP with existing
resources.
SCDE surveyed the seventy-two regular school districts and the three charter school districts.
While the bill specifies that the equipment and training are subject to funding by the General
Assembly or SCDE, one district indicates that expenses to develop the CERP could increase
Bill Number: H. 3831 Introduced on Januar
y 29, 2025
Subject: Smart Heart Act
Requestor: House Education and Public Works
RFA Anal
yst(s): Wren
Impact Date: March 19, 2025
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H. 3831
district expenses by $1,000. The costs may be partially offset by donations from public or private
entities and any federal funding that can be obtained for these expenses.
Explanation of Fiscal Impact
Introduced on January 29, 2025
State Expenditure
This bill requires each public school or charter school authorizer to develop a CERP that
addresses the appropriate use of school personnel to respond to incidents involving an individual
experiencing sudden cardiac arrest or a similar life‑threatening emergency while on school
grounds. The bill also requires each public school district or charter school with an athletic
department or organized athletic program that competes in interscholastic activities to include in
their CERP the appropriate use of school personnel to respond to incidents involving an
individual experiencing sudden cardiac arrest or similar life-threatening emergency while
attending or participating in a school-sponsored athletic practice or event. Also, the bill requires
the State Board of Education to develop standards, practices, and procedures that must be
adopted by districts and schools when developing a CERP and utilizing training in accordance
with nationally recognized standards. Subject to funding by the General Assembly or SCDE,
appropriate school staff must be trained in first aid, CPR, and AED that meets standards
adopted by the State Board. Additionally, subject to funding by the General Assembly or SCDE,
each public school must ensure the presence of an AED onsite and within certain proximity of
school athletic venues, must test and maintain each AED, and must ensure that all athletic
coaches obtain and maintain certain training. Further, the bill allows SCDE to pursue public and
private sources of funding to support the implementation of the bill at the local level and assist
districts and charter schools in applying for federal funds to implement the provisions of the bill.
S.C. Department of Education. SCDE indicates that the bill will increase the agency’s
recurring expenses by approximately $141,000 beginning in FY 2025-26. Of this amount,
$120,000 is for 1.0 FTE to manage the responsibilities of the bill, and $21,000 is for recurring
operating expenses.
State Agency Schools. This bill is not expected to have an expenditure impact on the state
agency schools. The bill specifies that the equipment and training are subject to funding by the
General Assembly or SCDE, Further, the Governor’s School for Agriculture at John de la Howe
and the Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics indicate that any expenses to implement
the provisions of the bill can be managed with existing appropriations. Based on these responses,
we anticipate that the Wil Ou Gray Opportunity School, the Governor’s School for the Arts and
Humanities, and the School for the Deaf and Blind can manage the costs to develop the CERP
with existing resources.
State Revenue
N/A
__________________________________
Frank A. Rainwater, Executive Director
DISCLAIMER: THIS FISCAL IMPACT STATEMENT REPRESENTS THE OPINION AND INTERPRETATION OF THE
AGENCY OFFICIAL WHO APPROVED AND SIGNED THIS DOCUMENT. IT IS PROVIDED AS INFORMATION TO
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY AND IS NOT TO BE CONSIDERED AS AN EXPRESSION OF LEGISLATIVE INTENT.
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H. 3831
Local Expenditure
This bill requires each public school or charter school authorizer to develop a CERP that
addresses the appropriate use of school personnel to respond to incidents involving an individual
experiencing sudden cardiac arrest or a similar life‑threatening emergency while on school
grounds or at a school-sponsored athletic practice or event. The State Board of Education must
develop standards, practices, and procedures that must be adopted by districts and schools when
developing a CERP and utilizing training in accordance with nationally recognized standards.
Subject to funding by the General Assembly or SCDE, appropriate school staff must be trained
in first aid, CPR, and AED that meets standards adopted by the State Board. Additionally,
subject to funding by the General Assembly or SCDE, each public school must ensure the
presence of an AED onsite and within certain proximity of school athletic venues, must test and
maintain each AED, and must ensure that all athletic coaches obtain and maintain certain
training. Further, the bill allows SCDE to pursue public and private sources of funding to support
the implementation of the bill at the local level and assist districts and charter schools in applying
for federal funds that are, or may be allocated, for items associated with the bill.
SCDE surveyed the seventy-two regular school districts and the three charter school districts.
While the bill specifies that the equipment and training are subject to funding by the General
Assembly or SCDE, one district indicates that expenses to develop the CERP could increase
district expenses by $1,000.
Local Revenue
The bill allows SCDE to pursue public and private sources of funding to support the
implementation of the bill at the local level and assist districts and charter schools in applying for
federal funds that are, or may be allocated, for items associated with the bill. As such, local
districts may generate additional revenue from these sources to offset a portion of the costs
associated with implementing the bill.