Cardiac arrest action plans.
SB 500 expands and strengthens Indiana’s school requirements for responding to sudden cardiac arrest during athletic and other higher-risk extracurricular activities. It requires school corporations, charter schools, and nonpublic schools with at least one employee to develop a venue-specific emergency action plan for sudden cardiac arrest, in consultation with an emergency medical services provider. The plan must set a goal of responding within three minutes, require periodic drills, be shared with school leadership and activity leaders, be posted conspicuously, and be distributed to students before each season for covered activities.
The bill also updates the state’s sudden cardiac arrest education and training provisions. It directs the Department of Education to disseminate updated guidelines, information sheets, and forms to schools for coaches, marching band leaders, applicable students, and parents, including information on warning signs and electrocardiogram testing. It requires annual acknowledgment forms before athletic practice, mandates removal from play when symptoms are suspected, and requires training for coaches and other leaders of covered activities, including AED use. The bill also preserves and relocates the authority for schools to apply for Indiana secured school matching grants to purchase automated external defibrillators, tying that grant eligibility to having a venue-specific emergency action plan.
SB 500 would amend Indiana Code chapter 20-34-8 governing sudden cardiac arrest in school activities. It changes existing optional planning language into a mandatory requirement for schools with at least one employee, broadens the covered entities to include nonpublic schools more explicitly, and adds new duties for plan development, communication, posting, and drills. It also creates a new section for AED grant eligibility and makes conforming changes to definitions and related training, disclosure, and liability provisions affecting schools, coaches, marching band leaders, drama/music leaders, and other designated extracurricular leaders.
The bill appears generally supportive of school safety and emergency preparedness, with its structure focused on prevention, training, and rapid response to cardiac emergencies. Because there are no committee transcripts or recorded votes provided, there is no direct evidence of opposition or amendment debate in the supplied materials. The introduced text suggests a policy consensus approach centered on protecting students in athletics and other high-risk activities.
The main potential points of contention are the new mandatory planning and training requirements, which may impose administrative and compliance burdens on schools, especially smaller nonpublic schools. Schools may also be concerned about the need to coordinate with emergency medical services providers, conduct periodic drills, maintain certificates and forms, and ensure AED availability. Another possible issue is the bill’s expansion of covered extracurricular activities and leaders, which could raise questions about scope, implementation costs, and liability exposure, although the bill also includes a good-faith immunity provision with exceptions for gross negligence or willful misconduct.