Relating to emergency cardiovascular care at public schools and certain private schools in this state.
Summary
HB 850 expands and standardizes emergency cardiovascular care requirements for public schools and certain private schools in Texas. It requires specified school staff and student athletic trainers to receive and maintain certification in automated external defibrillator (AED) use from recognized emergency cardiovascular care organizations, and it revises school campus AED requirements so that each campus has enough devices to make one accessible from any location on campus within three minutes of a possible cardiac arrest emergency. The bill also requires AEDs to be readily available during UIL athletic competitions held on campus and directs campus leaders to consider evidence-based placement guidelines when locating devices.
The bill further requires each school district and applicable private school to develop and implement a cardiac emergency response plan. That plan must include a cardiac emergency response team, activation procedures, dissemination of the plan, ongoing training in CPR and AED use, annual drills, and annual review and revision. For private schools, the requirement applies only if the school receives an AED or funding from the state agency to obtain one. The commissioner of education must also create a grant program to help districts and schools implement these plans, with priority for campuses where at least half of students are educationally disadvantaged.
Impact
HB 850 amends the Texas Education Code provisions governing AED training, AED availability, and cardiac emergency preparedness in schools. It broadens the existing school safety framework by moving from a minimum one-defibrillator model to a campus-accessibility standard, adds mandatory cardiac emergency response planning, and creates a state grant program to support compliance. The bill affects public school districts statewide and certain private schools that receive AEDs or related state funding, and it sets a compliance deadline of the first instructional day of the 2027-2028 school year.
Sentiment
The available context suggests generally favorable sentiment toward the bill, with no recorded committee opposition, no vote history showing division, and the measure advancing out of the House committee to Calendars. The bill’s focus on life-saving school emergency preparedness, AED access, and CPR training is consistent with a broadly supportive public-safety approach. The inclusion of grant funding and priority for educationally disadvantaged campuses also suggests an effort to make the requirements more feasible and equitable.
Contention
The main potential points of contention are implementation cost, staffing/training burdens, and the scope of obligations placed on schools, especially private schools. Requiring enough AEDs for campus-wide access, annual drills, ongoing training, and formal response teams may raise concerns about funding, administrative workload, and compliance timelines. The bill addresses some of these concerns by allowing a later implementation date and by creating a grant program, but the extent to which schools can meet the new standards without additional resources may still be debated.
Relating to the availability and instruction on the use of automated external defibrillators and a cardiac emergency response plan at public schools and certain private schools in this state.
Relating to the availability and instruction on the use of automated external defibrillators and a cardiac emergency response plan at public schools and certain private schools in this state.
Expands the requirement that all high schools and middle schools, whether they are publicly or privately run to maintain on site a functional AED while establishing and implementing a cardiac emergency response plan in these schools.
Expands the requirement that all high schools and middle schools, whether they are publicly or privately run to maintain on site a functional AED while establishing and implementing a cardiac emergency response plan in these schools.
Relating to instruction in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the use of automated external defibrillators and to a cardiac emergency response plan for certain school employees and volunteers.
Relating to the availability and instruction on the use of automated external defibrillators and a cardiac emergency response plan at public schools and certain private schools in this state.
Relating to the availability and instruction on the use of automated external defibrillators and a cardiac emergency response plan at public schools and certain private schools in this state.