SB 425: Education; all schools that receive state funding with students in any of grades three through five to provide instruction in cursive handwriting to all students by no later than third grade; require

The House Committee on Education offers the following substitute to SB 425:

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

To amend Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to education, so as to require all schools that receive state funding with students in any of grades three through five to provide instruction in cursive handwriting to all students by no later than third grade; 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 certain protections for employees and students from violence or other circumstances; to require local boards of education and public school governing bodies to adopt policies and procedures to allow an employee of a public school who is the victim of an act of physical violence committed by a student or the parent or the guardian of a student to transfer to a substantially similar position in another public school within the same local school system; to provide for related matters; to provide for contingent effectiveness upon appropriation of funds; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:

SECTION 1.

Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to education, is amended in Part 2 of Article 6 of Chapter 2, relating to competencies and core curriculum, by adding a new Code section to read as follows:

"20-2-140.2.

All schools with students in any of grades three through five which receive in any manner funds from the state shall provide instruction in cursive handwriting to students by no later than third grade. Such instruction may be provided within the framework of existing coursework offered by the school."

SECTION 2.

Said title is further amended in Part 3 of Article 16 of Chapter 2, relating to health, 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 2026-2027 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 kit use, and who shall be responsible for oversight of an emergency response;

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

(D) One or more designated automated external defibrillator and bleeding control kit 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 and bleeding control kits and the identities of 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 school 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 to provide training on bleeding control kit use 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, automated external defibrillator use, and bleeding control kit use to meet the requirements of this Code section."

SECTION 3.

Said title is further amended in Subpart 2 of Part 6 of Chapter 2, relating to conditions of employment, by adding a new Code section to read as follows:

"20-2-222.

No later than August 1, 2026, each local board of education and public school governing body shall adopt policies and procedures to allow an employee of a public school who is the victim of an act of physical violence, as such term is defined in Code Section 20-2-751.6, committed by a student or the parent or guardian of a student to transfer to a substantially similar position in another public school within the same local school system, provided that such a position is available. Such policy shall provide that no employee shall be subject to retaliation or other adverse action due to such a transfer or request to transfer."

SECTION 4.

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

(b) Section 2 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 Section 2 of 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.

SECTION 5.

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