Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas House Bill HB850 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	89R1629 KJE-F
2	2	By: Lalani H.B. No. 850
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7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to the availability of automatic external defibrillators
10	10	and a cardiac emergency response plan at public schools and certain
11	11	private schools in this state.
12	12	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
13	13	SECTION 1. Section 38.017(a), Education Code, is amended to
14	14	read as follows:
15	15	(a) Each school district shall make available at each campus
16	16	in the district the number of [at least one] automated external
17	17	defibrillators [defibrillator], as defined by Section 779.001,
18	18	Health and Safety Code, necessary for a defibrillator to be
19	19	accessible from any location on campus so that a person may provide
20	20	emergency care to a person in cardiac arrest within three minutes of
21	21	being notified of a possible medical emergency involving cardiac
22	22	arrest. A campus defibrillator must be readily available during
23	23	any University Interscholastic League athletic competition held on
24	24	the campus. In determining the placement of [location at which to
25	25	store] a campus defibrillator, the principal of the campus shall
26	26	consider the guidelines from the American Heart Association or
27	27	another organization with expertise in emergency cardiovascular
28	28	care and ensure that the defibrillator is clearly marked [primary
29	29	location on campus where students engage in athletic activities].
30	30	SECTION 2. Section 38.018, Education Code, is amended to
31	31	read as follows:
32	32	Sec. 38.018. [PROCEDURES REGARDING RESPONSE TO] CARDIAC
33	33	EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN [ARREST]. (a) Each school district and
34	34	private school shall develop and implement a cardiac emergency
35	35	response plan that establishes safety procedures for a district or
36	36	school employee or other appropriate personnel [student] to follow
37	37	in responding to a medical emergency involving cardiac arrest on
38	38	district or school grounds[, including the appropriate response
39	39	time in administering cardiopulmonary resuscitation, using an
40	40	automated external defibrillator, as defined by Section 779.001,
41	41	Health and Safety Code, or calling a local emergency medical
42	42	services provider].
43	43	(b) In developing the plan, the district or school shall:
44	44	(1) work directly with local emergency services
45	45	providers to integrate the plan with the providers' protocols; and
46	46	(2) incorporate evidence-based practices, such as the
47	47	American Heart Association's guidelines for cardiac emergency
48	48	response plans.
49	49	(c) The plan must include at a minimum:
50	50	(1) the establishment of a cardiac emergency response
51	51	team;
52	52	(2) procedures for activating the cardiac emergency
53	53	response team in response to a medical emergency involving cardiac
54	54	arrest;
55	55	(3) the dissemination of the plan throughout each
56	56	district or school campus;
57	57	(4) ongoing training in first aid, cardiopulmonary
58	58	resuscitation, and the use of automated external defibrillators, as
59	59	defined by Section 779.001, Health and Safety Code, using
60	60	evidence-based guidelines, for appropriate district or school
61	61	employees, including school coaches, school nurses, and athletic
62	62	trainers;
63	63	(5) annual practice drills in responding to a medical
64	64	emergency involving cardiac arrest; and
65	65	(6) annual review, evaluation, and, if necessary,
66	66	modification of the plan.
67	67	(d) A private school is required to develop a cardiac
68	68	emergency response plan [safety procedures] under this section only
69	69	if the school receives an automated external defibrillator from the
70	70	agency or receives funding from the agency to purchase or lease an
71	71	automated external defibrillator.
72	72	(e) The commissioner shall establish a grant program to
73	73	award grants to districts and schools to assist with the
74	74	implementation of a cardiac emergency response plan. In awarding
75	75	grants, the commissioner shall prioritize districts or schools at
76	76	which at least 50 percent of enrolled students are educationally
77	77	disadvantaged.
78	78	SECTION 3. Not later than the first instructional day of the
79	79	2027-2028 school year, each public school and private school to
80	80	which Sections 38.017 and 38.018, Education Code, as amended by
81	81	this Act, apply shall make available the number of automatic
82	82	external defibrillators and implement a cardiac emergency response
83	83	plan as required by those sections.
84	84	SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
85	85	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
86	86	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
87	87	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
88	88	Act takes effect September 1, 2025.