SB191 updates Colorado law on automated external defibrillators (AEDs) and school cardiac emergency preparedness. The bill removes a current statutory requirement that a person or entity acquiring an AED maintain a written plan covering placement, personnel training, EMS coordination, medical oversight, maintenance, authorized users, and reporting, and it eliminates the related limited immunity for the physician who reviewed and approved that written plan.
The bill also creates a new school-focused AED requirement. By January 1, 2026, if a public or nonpublic school has acquired an AED, the school must place and maintain it according to nationally recognized, evidence-based standards for emergency cardiovascular care. For public schools, the duty is assigned to the local education provider; for nonpublic schools, it is assigned to the school’s governing authority. The bill defines AEDs and local education providers for these purposes and includes a safety clause stating the act is necessary for public peace, health, or safety.
Impact
SB191 amends Colorado Revised Statutes section 13-21-108.1 and adds new section 22-1-129.7. In practical terms, it narrows one set of existing AED administrative requirements while adding a new statewide standard for AED placement and maintenance in schools that already have AEDs. The bill affects school districts, charter schools, BOCES operating public high schools, facility schools, Indian tribes or tribal organizations operating schools, and nonpublic schools, as well as entities and physicians involved in AED oversight under the prior law.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have broad bipartisan support and little visible opposition. It advanced unanimously in Senate Education and House Education, passed Senate third reading 34-0, and passed House third reading 55-8. The vote pattern suggests general agreement with improving school cardiac emergency preparedness and AED readiness, while the smaller House no votes indicate some remaining concern or disagreement among a limited number of members.
Contention
The main policy tension is between reducing paperwork/oversight requirements and imposing clearer maintenance and placement standards for AEDs in schools. Supporters likely view the bill as a practical safety measure that standardizes AED readiness and improves emergency response in schools. Any concerns would most likely center on implementation burdens for schools, the removal of physician-reviewed written plans, and whether the new standards are sufficiently specific or enforceable. The available vote history shows no recorded committee debate or organized opposition, so contention appears limited.
In grounds and buildings, providing for automated external defibrillator placement, inspection, maintenance and plan; in school health services, further providing for automatic external defibrillators; and, in charter schools, further providing for provisions applicable to charter schools and for applicability of other provisions of this act and of other acts and regulations.