| 1 | 1 | | BILL AS INTRODUCED H.247 |
|---|
| 2 | 2 | | 2025 Page 1 of 4 |
|---|
| 3 | 3 | | |
|---|
| 4 | 4 | | |
|---|
| 5 | 5 | | VT LEG #380542 v.2 |
|---|
| 6 | 6 | | H.247 1 |
|---|
| 7 | 7 | | Introduced by Representatives Micklus of Milton, Bosch of Clarendon, Boutin 2 |
|---|
| 8 | 8 | | of Barre City, Carris-Duncan of Whitingham, Dickinson of St. 3 |
|---|
| 9 | 9 | | Albans Town, Hango of Berkshire, Morgan, L. of Milton, 4 |
|---|
| 10 | 10 | | Morgan, M. of Milton, Nielsen of Brandon, Steady of Milton, 5 |
|---|
| 11 | 11 | | and Taylor of Milton 6 |
|---|
| 12 | 12 | | Referred to Committee on 7 |
|---|
| 13 | 13 | | Date: 8 |
|---|
| 14 | 14 | | Subject: Education; health and safety; cardiac emergency response plan 9 |
|---|
| 15 | 15 | | Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to require school 10 |
|---|
| 16 | 16 | | districts and independent schools to develop cardiac emergency response 11 |
|---|
| 17 | 17 | | plans. 12 |
|---|
| 18 | 18 | | An act relating to cardiac emergency response plans in schools 13 |
|---|
| 19 | 19 | | It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont: 14 |
|---|
| 20 | 20 | | Sec. 1. 16 V.S.A. § 1433 is added to read: 15 |
|---|
| 21 | 21 | | § 1433. ACUTE CARDIAC EVENTS IN SCHOOLS 16 |
|---|
| 22 | 22 | | (a) Definitions. As used in this section: 17 |
|---|
| 23 | 23 | | (1) “Automated external defibrillator (AED)” has the same meaning as 18 |
|---|
| 24 | 24 | | in 18 V.S.A. § 907(a)(1). 19 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.247 |
|---|
| 25 | 25 | | 2025 Page 2 of 4 |
|---|
| 26 | 26 | | |
|---|
| 27 | 27 | | |
|---|
| 28 | 28 | | VT LEG #380542 v.2 |
|---|
| 29 | 29 | | (2) “Cardiac emergency response plan” means a written document that 1 |
|---|
| 30 | 30 | | establishes the specific steps to reduce death from cardiac arrest in any setting, 2 |
|---|
| 31 | 31 | | including a school, community organization, workplace, or sports facility. 3 |
|---|
| 32 | 32 | | (3) “Sudden cardiac arrest” means the sudden loss of all heart activity 4 |
|---|
| 33 | 33 | | due to an irregular heart rhythm, which if not treated within minutes can 5 |
|---|
| 34 | 34 | | quickly lead to death. 6 |
|---|
| 35 | 35 | | (b) Establishment of a cardiac emergency response plan. 7 |
|---|
| 36 | 36 | | (1) Each school district and independent school shall develop a cardiac 8 |
|---|
| 37 | 37 | | emergency response plan that addresses the appropriate use of school 9 |
|---|
| 38 | 38 | | personnel to respond to incidents involving an individual experiencing sudden 10 |
|---|
| 39 | 39 | | cardiac arrest or a similar life-threatening emergency while on school grounds. 11 |
|---|
| 40 | 40 | | (2) Each school district and approved independent school with an 12 |
|---|
| 41 | 41 | | athletic department or organized athletic program shall develop a cardiac 13 |
|---|
| 42 | 42 | | emergency response plan that addresses the appropriate use of school 14 |
|---|
| 43 | 43 | | personnel to respond to incidents involving an individual experiencing sudden 15 |
|---|
| 44 | 44 | | cardiac arrest or a similar life-threatening emergency while attending or 16 |
|---|
| 45 | 45 | | participating in an athletic practice or event while on school grounds. 17 |
|---|
| 46 | 46 | | (3) School officials shall work directly with local emergency service 18 |
|---|
| 47 | 47 | | providers to integrate the cardiac emergency response plan into the 19 |
|---|
| 48 | 48 | | community’s emergency medical service responder protocols. Each plan shall 20 |
|---|
| 49 | 49 | | integrate evidence-based core elements, such as those recommended by the 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.247 |
|---|
| 50 | 50 | | 2025 Page 3 of 4 |
|---|
| 51 | 51 | | |
|---|
| 52 | 52 | | |
|---|
| 53 | 53 | | VT LEG #380542 v.2 |
|---|
| 54 | 54 | | American Heart Association guidelines or another nationally recognized, 1 |
|---|
| 55 | 55 | | evidence-based standard. 2 |
|---|
| 56 | 56 | | (c) Plan requirements. The cardiac emergency response plan shall include, 3 |
|---|
| 57 | 57 | | at a minimum, policies on: 4 |
|---|
| 58 | 58 | | (1) establishment of a cardiac emergency response team; 5 |
|---|
| 59 | 59 | | (2) guidelines for when a team is activated in response to a sudden 6 |
|---|
| 60 | 60 | | cardiac event; 7 |
|---|
| 61 | 61 | | (3) implementation of AED placement and routine maintenance within 8 |
|---|
| 62 | 62 | | the school; 9 |
|---|
| 63 | 63 | | (4) dissemination of the plan throughout the school campus; 10 |
|---|
| 64 | 64 | | (5) maintaining ongoing staff training in CPR and AED use; 11 |
|---|
| 65 | 65 | | (6) practice drills; 12 |
|---|
| 66 | 66 | | (7) integrating local EMS with the plan; and 13 |
|---|
| 67 | 67 | | (8) ongoing and annual review and evaluation of the plan. 14 |
|---|
| 68 | 68 | | (d) AED placement. Appropriate AED placement shall be dictated by the 15 |
|---|
| 69 | 69 | | cardiac emergency response plan and in accordance with guidelines set by the 16 |
|---|
| 70 | 70 | | American Heart Association. 17 |
|---|
| 71 | 71 | | (e) Training. Appropriate school staff shall be trained in first-aid, CPR, 18 |
|---|
| 72 | 72 | | and AED use that follow evidence-based guidelines set forth by the American 19 |
|---|
| 73 | 73 | | Heart Association. Staff trained shall be determined by the cardiac emergency 20 |
|---|
| 74 | 74 | | response plan, including licensed coaches, school nurses, and athletic trainers. 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.247 |
|---|
| 75 | 75 | | 2025 Page 4 of 4 |
|---|
| 76 | 76 | | |
|---|
| 77 | 77 | | |
|---|
| 78 | 78 | | VT LEG #380542 v.2 |
|---|
| 79 | 79 | | Sec. 2. IMPLEMENTATION 1 |
|---|
| 80 | 80 | | School districts and independent schools shall have a cardiac emergency 2 |
|---|
| 81 | 81 | | response plan developed and ready for implementation beginning in the 2025–3 |
|---|
| 82 | 82 | | 2026 school year. 4 |
|---|
| 83 | 83 | | Sec. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE 5 |
|---|
| 84 | 84 | | This act shall take effect on July 1, 2025. 6 |
|---|