Directs schools to have a cardiac emergency response plan as part of the procedures for responding to medical emergencies.
HB 4160 updates Oregon school safety law to require every school district to include medical emergency procedures in its comprehensive safety program, specifically including a cardiac emergency response plan that complies with existing law. The bill also amends the state’s AED and cardiac response requirements for K-12 public and private schools by requiring each school to have a cardiac emergency response plan, at least one automated external defibrillator, clear placement and access rules for AEDs, a process for sharing AED locations with local emergency medical services, maintenance and testing procedures, CPR/AED training for coaches and other designated staff, and an annual review of the plan and compliance.
The bill also clarifies that school safety programs must address not only evacuation, lockdown, secure, hold, and shelter-in-place procedures, but also communicable disease management and medical emergencies. The amendments apply beginning with the 2027-2028 school year, and the act takes effect July 1, 2027, giving schools time to prepare and implement the new requirements.
The overall sentiment around the bill appears strongly supportive and noncontroversial. It passed the House committee unanimously, passed the House floor with only one dissenting vote, and then passed the Senate committee and Senate floor unanimously. The vote pattern suggests broad bipartisan agreement that schools should have clearer, more standardized procedures for cardiac and other medical emergencies.
There is little visible contention in the available record, but the main practical issue is implementation: schools will need to ensure AED availability, staff training, maintenance, and annual compliance reviews, and to align their plans with national emergency cardiovascular care guidance where practicable. Any concern would likely center on administrative burden, cost, or readiness for smaller schools, but no specific opposition is reflected in the provided discussion or votes.
HB 4160 amends ORS 339.345 and 339.405 to expand school safety requirements and make cardiac emergency response planning an explicit legal obligation for K-12 public and private schools. It adds duties related to AED placement, access, maintenance, EMS coordination, staff CPR/AED training, and annual review, while also requiring school district safety programs to include procedures for medical emergencies and communicable disease management. The law applies to the 2027-2028 school year and takes effect July 1, 2027, affecting school districts, private schools, charter schools, coaches, designated staff, and local emergency medical services providers.
The bill was received very positively throughout the legislative process. It advanced unanimously in committee in both chambers and passed the Senate floor without opposition, while the House floor vote showed only one no vote. The vote history indicates broad bipartisan support for strengthening school emergency preparedness, especially for cardiac incidents.
No major policy dispute is evident in the available materials. The only likely points of concern are operational: schools must meet new planning, training, AED placement, maintenance, and annual review requirements, and they must coordinate with local EMS. If any contention existed, it would most likely have involved implementation costs, staffing/training obligations, or feasibility for smaller or resource-constrained schools, but the recorded votes do not show organized opposition.