Establishes Cardiac Emergency Response in Schools Grant Program in DOE, appropriates $600,000.
Summary
This bill establishes the Cardiac Emergency Response in Schools Grant Program within the Department of Education. The program would provide competitive grants to school districts, charter schools, renaissance school projects, and nonpublic schools to improve preparedness for cardiac emergencies. Eligible uses include purchasing and maintaining automatic external defibrillators (AEDs), buying CPR training kits, implementing cardiac emergency response plans, and training staff in CPR or basic first aid.
The bill requires applicants to submit information about their current cardiac emergency policies and their need for additional funding. The Commissioner of Education would set application criteria, determine award amounts, and may issue multi-year grants, with priority given to schools showing the greatest need. Grant recipients must report on how funds were used within one year, and the commissioner must report to the Governor and Legislature within two years on program participation, awards, and recommendations about continuation or expansion.
Impact
The bill would add a new grant program to Title 18A and direct the Department of Education to administer state aid for school cardiac emergency preparedness. It also appropriates $600,000 from the General Fund to fund the program, creating a new state expenditure and a reporting structure for both grant recipients and the department. Schools receiving funds would be able to use them for AEDs, CPR training materials, emergency planning, and staff training, potentially increasing compliance and readiness across public and nonpublic schools.
Sentiment
Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee testimony or votes, the overall sentiment appears supportive and preventative in nature. The proposal is framed as a school safety and health measure aimed at reducing risks from cardiac emergencies and improving emergency response capacity. No formal opposition, amendments, or recorded controversy are reflected in the provided materials.
Contention
No specific points of contention are documented in the available committee or voting history. Potential areas of debate, if raised, would likely concern the adequacy of the $600,000 appropriation, how grants would be distributed among different types of schools, and whether the state should prioritize schools with the greatest need versus broader statewide coverage. Another possible issue is the inclusion of nonpublic schools alongside public school entities, though no recorded objection appears in the provided context.
Relating to consent by a county commissioners court for the creation of certain conservation and reclamation districts in the unincorporated area of the county.
Establishes grant program for school districts to develop in-district and collaborative special education programs and services to reduce need to place classified students out-of-district.