SB425: SB425 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

26 LC 61 0497S 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 to1 require all schools that receive state funding with students in any of grades three through five2 to provide instruction in cursive handwriting to all students by no later than third grade; to 3 remove the requirement of having a licensed physician in automa ted external defibrillator4 programs; to provide instruction and procedures related to bleeding control kits; to provide5 a definition; to provide for certain protections for employees and students from violence or6 other circumstances; to require local boards of education and public school governing bodies7 to adopt policies and procedures to allow an employee of a public school who is the victim8 of an act of physical violence committed by a student or the pa rent or the guardian of a9 student to transfer to a substantially similar position in another public school within the same10 local school system; to provide for related matters; to provide for contingent effectiveness11 upon appropriation of funds; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.12 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:13 S. B. 425 (SUB) - 1 - 26 LC 61 0497S SECTION 1.14 Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to education, is amended in Part15 2 of Article 6 of Chapter 2, relating to competencies and core curriculum, by adding a new16 Code section to read as follows:17 "20-2-140.2.18 All schools with students in any of grades three through five which receive in any manner19 funds from the state shall provide instruction in cursive handwriting to students by no later20 than third grade. Such instruction may be provided within the framework of existing21 coursework offered by the school."22 SECTION 2.23 Said title is further amended in Part 3 of Article 16 of Chapte r 2, relating to health, by24 revising Code Section 20-2-775, relating to automated external defibrillators required in high25 schools, requirements, and funding, as follows:26 "20-2-775.27 (a) As used in this Code section, the term:28 (1) 'Automated external defibrillator' means a defibrillator which:29 (A) Is capable of cardiac rhythm analysis;30 (B) Will charge and be capable of being activated to deliver a countershock after31 electrically detecting the presence of certain cardiac dysrhythmias; and32 (C) Is capable of continuously recording cardiac dysrhythmia a t the scene with a33 mechanism for transfer and storage or for printing for review subsequent to use.34 (2) 'Bleeding control kit' means a kit used to stop or slow bleeding in emergencies that35 is approved by the American College of Surgeons and may be obta ined through the36 Georgia Trauma Commission Bleeding Control Kit Program.37 S. B. 425 (SUB) - 2 - 26 LC 61 0497S (2)(3) 'Emergency action plan' means the plan established pursuant t o paragraph (5)38 paragraph (7) of subsection (c) of this Code section to provide for an emergency response39 to a any person in cardiac arrest or experiencing severe bleeding.40 (3)(4) 'Internal response team' means the team of school personnel established pursuant41 to paragraph (7) paragraph (9) of subsection (c) of this Code section responsible for42 oversight of an emergency response to a any person in cardiac arrest or experiencing43 severe bleeding and implementation of the emergency action plan.44 (4)(5) 'School' means a public school in this state which provides K-12 education.45 (b) No later than July 1, 2025, each school in this state shall have at least one functional46 automated external defibrillator on site at such school at all times and easily accessible47 during all school hours and during any school related function, including athletic practices,48 athletic competitions, and other occasions where students and o thers will be present, for49 use during emergencies.50 (c) Each school shall:51 (1) Ensure that each member of the internal response team and any other expected users52 of the automated external defibrillator receive American Heart Association or American53 Red Cross training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and automated external defibrillator54 use or complete an equivalent nationally recognized course;55 (2) Ensure that each member of the internal response team and any other expected users56 of the bleeding control kit utilize an instructional or training program established by the57 American College of Surgeons for stopping bleeding and the use of a bleeding control kit;58 (2)(3) Notify the appropriate emergency medical services system of t he existence and59 location of each automated external defibrillator prior to said such automated external60 defibrillator being placed in use;61 (4) Notify the appropriate emergency medical services system o f the existence and62 location of each bleeding control kit prior to such bleeding co ntrol kit being placed in63 use;64 S. B. 425 (SUB) - 3 - 26 LC 61 0497S (3)(5) Ensure that the automated external defibrillator is maintained and tested according65 to the manufacturer's operational guidelines;66 (4) Ensure that there is involvement of a licensed physician or other person authorized67 by the Georgia Composite Medical Board in the site's automated external defibrillator68 program to ensure compliance with requirements for training, no tification, and69 maintenance;70 (6) Ensure that the bleeding control kit is maintained and replenished after use;71 (5)(7) Establish a written emergency action plan that adheres to nat ionally recognized72 standards and that establishes specific steps to take during a cardiac emergency73 emergencies in a school setting which involve either cardiac arrest or sev ere bleeding.74 Such plan shall be designed to:75 (A) Provide provide for an effective system for communication between members of76 the internal response team and other school officials, ensuring that the internal response77 team or other designated personnel activate the emergency medical services system as78 soon as reasonably possible after any person renders emergency care or treatment to a79 person in cardiac arrest by using an automated external defibri llator and report any80 clinical use of the automated external defibrillator to the lic ensed physician or other81 person authorized by the Georgia Composite Medical Board who is supervising the82 program, and ensuring that emergency medical services personnel are led directly to the83 exact location of the person in cardiac arrest; and84 (B) Provide for an effective system for communication between members of the85 internal response team and other school officials, ensuring tha t the internal response86 team or other designated personnel activate the emergency medical services system as87 soon as reasonably possible after any person renders emergency care or treatment to a88 person experiencing severe bleeding by using a bleeding control kit and ensuring that89 emergency medical services personnel are led directly to the ex act location of the90 person experiencing severe bleeding;91 S. B. 425 (SUB) - 4 - 26 LC 61 0497S (6)(8) Beginning in the 2025-2026 2026-2027 school year and each school year92 thereafter, conduct a minimum of two emergency action plan practice drills per school93 year, with at least one per semester. One such practice drill may be a tabletop drill to94 walk through a hypothetical scenario and the courses of action a school will need to take95 before, during, and after a any cardiac emergency or severe bleeding emergency . The96 emergency action plan practice drills shall include various locations on school grounds97 and responses to different hypothetical situations;98 (7)(9) Establish a designated internal response team composed of:99 (A) At least five school staff members;100 (B) One or more designated team leads trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and101 automated external defibrillator use, and bleeding control kit use, and who shall be102 responsible for oversight of an emergency response;103 (C) One or more designated cardiopulmonary resuscitation and b leeding control kit104 leads trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and automated external defibrillator use,105 and bleeding control kit use;106 (D) One or more designated automated external defibrillator and bleeding control kit107 leads who shall be responsible for knowing the location of automated external108 defibrillators, retrieving automated external defibrillators, a nd maintenance of109 automated external defibrillators and who shall also be respons ible for knowing the110 location of bleeding control kits, retrieving bleeding control kits, and maintenance of111 bleeding control kits; and112 (E) One or more designated communication leads responsible for activating the113 emergency medical services system, facilitating directions to the any person in cardiac114 arrest or experiencing severe bleeding for emergency medical services personnel upon115 arrival at the school, and coordinating communications with the designated team lead116 or leads; and117 S. B. 425 (SUB) - 5 - 26 LC 61 0497S (8)(10) Apprise all school personnel of the location of automated external defibrillators118 and bleeding control kits and the identities of the members of the internal response team.119 (d) Subject to appropriations by the General Assembly, the Department of Education shall120 provide funds to local school systems to assist in the purchase of automated external121 defibrillators pursuant to this Code section.122 (e) The department and local school systems shall consult as necessary with the Georgia123 Trauma Commission Bleeding Control Kit Program and Regional Tra uma Advisory124 Committee coordinators to obtain bleeding control kits and to provide training on bleeding125 control kit use to meet the requirements of this Code section.126 (e)(f) The department and local school systems shall use diligent efforts to identify private127 sources of funding or donation of funding and equipment for car diopulmonary128 resuscitation, automated external defibrillator use, and bleeding control kit use to meet the129 requirements of this Code section."130 SECTION 3.131 Said title is further amended in Subpart 2 of Part 6 of Chapter 2, relating to conditions of132 employment, by adding a new Code section to read as follows:133 "20-2-222.134 No later than August 1, 2026, each local board of education and public school governing135 body shall adopt policies and procedures to allow an employee of a public school who is136 the victim of an act of physical violence, as such term is defi ned in Code137 Section 20-2-751.6, committed by a student or the parent or gua rdian of a student to138 transfer to a substantially similar position in another public school within the same local139 school system, provided that such a position is available. Suc h policy shall provide that140 no employee shall be subject to retaliation or other adverse action due to such a transfer or141 request to transfer."142 S. B. 425 (SUB) - 6 - 26 LC 61 0497S SECTION 4.143 (a) This Act shall become effective on July 1, 2026, except as provided in subsection (b) of144 this section. 145 (b) Section 2 of this Act shall become effective only if funds are specifically appropriated146 for purposes of this Act in an appropriations Act enacted by the General Assembly. If funds147 are so appropriated, then Section 2 of this Act shall become effective on the later of:148 (1) The date on which such appropriations Act becomes effective; or149 (2) The beginning date of the fiscal year for which such appropriations are made.150 SECTION 5.151 All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.152 S. B. 425 (SUB) - 7 -