RELATING TO EDUCATION -- HEALTH AND SAFETY OF PUPILS
Summary
H7027 expands Rhode Island’s school health-and-safety requirements for sudden cardiac arrest preparedness. The bill requires all middle schools and high schools, including public and private schools, to maintain functional automated external defibrillators (AEDs) on site in quantities and locations determined by the commissioner of education in consultation with the director of health, and to ensure that at least one properly trained person in CPR and AED use is present during school-sponsored curricular, extracurricular, and athletic activities. It also authorizes schools to accept gifts, grants, and donations to help pay for AEDs, maintenance, and staff training.
Beginning in the 2027-2028 school year, each middle school and high school must develop a cardiac emergency response plan (CERP) for responding to sudden cardiac arrest or similar life-threatening emergencies on school grounds. Schools with athletic programs must also develop a venue-specific athletic emergency action plan (EAP) that is posted, distributed, and rehearsed annually, with AED access and trained coaches at practices and events. The bill directs the education commissioner and health director to establish implementation and compliance processes and allows rules and regulations to be adopted to carry out the law.
Impact
The bill amends Rhode Island General Laws chapter 16-21, section 16-21-33.1, by broadening and formalizing requirements for AED availability, emergency planning, staff training, and compliance monitoring in middle and high schools. It affects both public and privately run schools and extends obligations to school-sponsored athletic events held off-site, while also creating a framework for cardiac emergency response plans and athletic emergency action plans beginning in the 2027-2028 school year.
Sentiment
The overall sentiment appears strongly favorable. The House Education Committee advanced the bill 10-1, and the full House passed it 62-3, indicating broad bipartisan support for improving emergency preparedness in schools. The bill’s findings emphasize survival benefits from rapid defibrillation and CPR, which likely contributed to the positive reception.
Contention
The main points of contention appear to be practical and financial rather than the underlying goal of student safety. The bill imposes new duties on schools to purchase, maintain, and place AEDs, train staff and coaches, and develop and rehearse emergency plans, which may raise implementation and cost concerns, especially for private schools or smaller districts. The narrow committee and floor opposition suggests some disagreement over mandates, compliance burdens, or funding responsibility, though no transcript details are available.
Repeals the legislative findings in this section and requires elementary, middle and high schools to provide and maintain on-site functional automated external defibrillators (AEDs).
Establishes a new program where the per pupil funding, calculated annually by RIDE, would be transferred into a newly created educational funding account run by the children's scholarship fund to pay for educational expenses.
Alters a PA’s continuing education requirements, ability to provide charitable care, and authority to clear students to return to sports after health-concern related removal and protect PA’s from certain restrictive covenants.
Requires the department of health to incorporate information about dementia risk factors and reduction into public education and healthcare provider education materials.
Requires the department of health to incorporate information about dementia risk factors and reduction into public education and healthcare provider education materials.
Directs the commissioner of postsecondary education to prepare a strategic plan for public higher education which is aligned with the goals of the board of education's strategic plan.
Directs the commissioner of postsecondary education to prepare a strategic plan for public higher education which is aligned with the goals of the board of education's strategic plan.