HB 629: Education; remove requirement of having a licensed physician in automated external defibrillator programs

The Senate Committee on Education and Youth offered the following substitute to HB 629:

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

To amend Part 3 of Article 16 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to student health, so as to remove the requirement of having a licensed physician in automated external defibrillator programs; to provide instruction and procedures related to bleeding control kits; to provide a definition; to provide for contingent effectiveness upon appropriation of funds; to amend Code Section 20-2-218 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to duty-free lunch period and planning period required, exemption for extenuating circumstances, and funding, so as to provide that said Code section shall not be subject to waiver; to provide for an effective date and applicability; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:

SECTION 1.

Part 3 of Article 16 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to student health, is amended by revising Code Section 20-2-775, relating to automated external defibrillators required in high schools, requirements, and funding, as follows:

"20-2-775.

(a) As used in this Code section, the term:

(1) 'Automated external defibrillator' means a defibrillator which:

(A) Is capable of cardiac rhythm analysis;

(B) Will charge and be capable of being activated to deliver a countershock after electrically detecting the presence of certain cardiac dysrhythmias; and

(C) Is capable of continuously recording cardiac dysrhythmia at the scene with a mechanism for transfer and storage or for printing for review subsequent to use.

(2) 'Bleeding control kit' means a kit used to stop or slow bleeding in emergencies that is approved by the American College of Surgeons and may be obtained through the Georgia Trauma Commission Bleeding Control Kit Program.

(2)(3) 'Emergency action plan' means the plan established pursuant to paragraph (5) paragraph (7) of subsection (c) of this Code section to provide for an emergency response to a any person in cardiac arrest or experiencing severe bleeding. (3)(4) 'Internal response team' means the team of school personnel established pursuant to paragraph (7) paragraph (9) of subsection (c) of this Code section responsible for oversight of an emergency response to a any person in cardiac arrest or experiencing severe bleeding and implementation of the emergency action plan. (4)(5) 'School' means a public school in this state which provides K-12 education.

(b) No later than July 1, 2025, each school in this state shall have at least one functional automated external defibrillator on site at such school at all times and easily accessible during all school hours and during any school related function, including athletic practices, athletic competitions, and other occasions where students and others will be present, for use during emergencies.

(c) Each school shall:

(1) Ensure that each member of the internal response team and any other expected users of the automated external defibrillator receive American Heart Association or American Red Cross training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and automated external defibrillator use or complete an equivalent nationally recognized course;

(2) Ensure that each member of the internal response team and any other expected users of the bleeding control kit utilize an instructional or training program established by the American College of Surgeons for stopping bleeding and the use of a bleeding control kit; (2)(3) Notify the appropriate emergency medical services system of the existence and location of each automated external defibrillator prior to said such automated external defibrillator being placed in use;

(4) Notify the appropriate emergency medical services system of the existence and location of each bleeding control kit prior to such bleeding control kit being placed in use;

(3)(5) Ensure that the automated external defibrillator is maintained and tested according to the manufacturer's operational guidelines;

(4) Ensure that there is involvement of a licensed physician or other person authorized by the Georgia Composite Medical Board in the site's automated external defibrillator program to ensure compliance with requirements for training, notification, and maintenance;

(6) Ensure that the bleeding control kit is maintained and replenished after use; (5)(7) Establish a written emergency action plan that adheres to nationally recognized standards and that establishes specific steps to take during a cardiac emergency emergencies in a school setting which involve either cardiac arrest or severe bleeding. Such plan shall be designed to:

(A) Provide provide for an effective system for communication between members of the internal response team and other school officials, ensuring that the internal response team or other designated personnel activate the emergency medical services system as soon as reasonably possible after any person renders emergency care or treatment to a person in cardiac arrest by using an automated external defibrillator and report any clinical use of the automated external defibrillator to the licensed physician or other person authorized by the Georgia Composite Medical Board who is supervising the program, and ensuring that emergency medical services personnel are led directly to the exact location of the person in cardiac arrest; and

(B) Provide for an effective system for communication between members of the internal response team and other school officials, ensuring that the internal response team or other designated personnel activate the emergency medical services system as soon as reasonably possible after any person renders emergency care or treatment to a person experiencing severe bleeding by using a bleeding control kit and ensuring that emergency medical services personnel are led directly to the exact location of the person experiencing severe bleeding;

(6)(8) Beginning in the 2025-2026 school year and each school year thereafter, conduct a minimum of two emergency action plan practice drills per school year, with at least one per semester. One such practice drill may be a tabletop drill to walk through a hypothetical scenario and the courses of action a school will need to take before, during, and after a any cardiac emergency or severe bleeding emergency. The emergency action plan practice drills shall include various locations on school grounds and responses to different hypothetical situations;

(7)(9) Establish a designated internal response team composed of:

(A) At least five school staff members;

(B) One or more designated team leads trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and automated external defibrillator use, and bleeding control kits, and responsible for oversight of an emergency response;

(C) One or more designated cardiopulmonary resuscitation leads trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and automated external defibrillator use, and bleeding control kits;

(D) One or more designated automated external defibrillator leads who shall be responsible for knowing the location of automated external defibrillators, retrieving automated external defibrillators, and maintenance of automated external defibrillators and who shall also be responsible for knowing the location of bleeding control kits, retrieving bleeding control kits, and maintenance of bleeding control kits; and

(E) One or more designated communication leads responsible for activating the emergency medical services system, facilitating directions to the any person in cardiac arrest or experiencing severe bleeding for emergency medical services personnel upon arrival at the school, and coordinating communications with the designated team lead or leads; and

(8)(10) Apprise all school personnel of the location of automated external defibrillators, bleeding control kits, and the members of the internal response team.

(d) Subject to appropriations by the General Assembly, the Department of Education shall provide funds to local school systems to assist in the purchase of automated external defibrillators pursuant to this Code section.

(e) The department and local systems shall consult as necessary with the Georgia Trauma Commission Bleeding Control Kit Program and Regional Trauma Advisory Committee coordinators to obtain bleeding control kits and training to meet the requirements of this Code section.

(e)(f) The department and local school systems shall use diligent efforts to identify private sources of funding or donation of funding and equipment for cardiopulmonary resuscitation and automated external defibrillator use to meet the requirements of this Code section."

SECTION 2.

Code Section 20-2-218 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to duty-free lunch period and planning period required, exemption for extenuating circumstances, and funding, is amended by adding a new subsection to read as follows:

"(h) This Code section shall not be subject to waiver pursuant to Code Section 20-2-82 fora strategic waivers school system, Code Section 20-2-2063.2 or 20-2-2065 for a charter system, Code Section 20-2-2065 for a charter school, Code Section 20-2-2096.3 for a completion special school, or Code Section 20-2-244."

SECTION 3.

(a) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (b) of this section, this Act shall become effective on July 1, 2026.

(b) Section 1 of this Act shall become effective only if funds are specifically appropriated for purposes of this Act in an appropriations Act enacted by the General Assembly. If funds are so appropriated, then this Act shall become effective on the later of:

(1) The date on which such appropriations Act becomes effective; or

(2) The beginning date of the fiscal year for which such appropriations are made.

(c) Section 2 of this Act shall apply to all school years beginning with the 2026-2027 school year.

SECTION 4.

All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.