Adds to existing law to require public schools to develop sudden cardiac arrest prevention training and to require school districts to establish certain policies for the discipline of coaches.
House Bill 60 adds a new section to Idaho’s education code to create a sudden cardiac arrest prevention framework for school athletic activities. It defines covered athletic activities, coaches, schools, and symptoms, and directs the State Department of Education to publish guidelines and educational materials for students, parents, guardians, and coaches. Those materials must include a symptom information sheet and acknowledgment form, and schools may also hold informational meetings before athletic seasons begin.
The bill requires a student who faints or passes out during or immediately after an athletic activity to be removed from play, and allows removal when a coach reasonably believes other listed symptoms may be cardiac-related. A student removed under these rules may not return until cleared in writing by an appropriate medical professional. The bill also requires every coach to complete annual sudden cardiac arrest training and bars a coach from eligibility until the training is completed. Schools must adopt policies by July 1, 2027, imposing escalating penalties for coaches who violate the removal-from-play or training requirements, and the bill limits civil liability for coaches unless they act grossly negligently or recklessly.
In addition to the new cardiac-arrest provisions, the bill amends the school-governance statute to expressly require school district boards to adopt policies governing coach discipline under the new section. The measure applies to public school districts and public charter schools, and it also states that sponsors of youth athletic activities may follow the guidance. The act is declared an emergency and takes effect July 1, 2025.
The overall sentiment reflected by the bill text and caption is protective and preventive, focusing on student athlete safety and coach accountability rather than punishment. No committee transcript or vote record was provided, so there is no recorded debate or voting pattern to indicate broader legislative support or opposition. Based on the bill’s structure, it appears designed to standardize school responses to cardiac warning signs and reduce the risk of catastrophic outcomes during sports participation.
The main points of potential contention are the mandatory annual training requirement, the required school discipline policies for coaches, and the liability standard. Schools and coaches may view the new compliance obligations and penalties as burdensome, while supporters are likely to emphasize the health and safety benefits and the limited civil-liability protection for coaches acting in good faith. The bill also leaves some implementation details to the Department of Education and local school districts, which could raise questions about training availability, enforcement, and how strictly the removal-from-play standard will be applied.
The bill creates a new statutory section in Title 33 governing sudden cardiac arrest prevention in school athletics and amends the school governance statute to require school district policies for disciplining coaches who violate those rules. It imposes new duties on the State Department of Education, schools, students, parents, and coaches, including publication of educational materials, annual acknowledgments, mandatory coach training, removal-from-play procedures, return-to-play clearance requirements, and local disciplinary policies with minimum sanctions. It also provides a gross-negligence/recklessness standard for civil liability and takes effect July 1, 2025, with school discipline policies required by July 1, 2027.
The bill appears broadly safety-oriented and preventive, with a clear emphasis on protecting student athletes from sudden cardiac arrest and ensuring coaches are trained to recognize warning signs. Because no committee transcript or vote history was provided, there is no direct evidence of opposition or support from legislators in the record supplied. The caption and statutory design suggest a generally favorable posture toward student health and school sports safety.
Likely points of contention include the mandate that every coach complete annual training, the requirement that schools adopt minimum disciplinary penalties for coach violations, and the potential administrative burden on districts and charter schools. Coaches and school administrators may be concerned about enforcement, liability exposure, and the practicality of removing students from play based on symptoms that may not always be clearly cardiac-related. Supporters would likely prioritize the health-protection rationale, while critics may focus on local control, compliance costs, and the scope of penalties.