An Act to create 118.07 (6) of the statutes; Relating to: requiring cardiac emergency response plans for cardiac emergencies that occur on school property or at school-sponsored athletic events. (FE)
AB362 would require every school board and charter school operator to have a written cardiac emergency response plan in place beginning in the 2026-27 school year. The plan would need to set out specific steps for responding to sudden cardiac arrest on school property, including identifying a response team, activating that team, distributing the plan on school grounds, coordinating with local emergency medical services, and conducting annual drills, reviews, and post-incident evaluations.
The bill also creates a separate requirement for schools that operate high school grades to have a cardiac emergency response plan for school-sponsored athletic practices and competitions. That athletic plan would have to ensure AEDs are clearly marked and accessible at athletic venues, and it would require coaches to be certified in CPR and AED use. In developing either plan, schools would have to consider guidance from organizations such as the American Heart Association or Project ADAM. The bill further authorizes the Office of School Safety in the Department of Justice to award implementation grants in 2026-27 to help schools buy AEDs and cover CPR training and materials, with grant amounts tied to school grade levels.
AB362 would add a new subsection to Wisconsin statute 118.07, creating a statewide mandate for cardiac emergency preparedness in schools and charter schools. It would affect school boards, charter school operators, school personnel, coaches, athletic trainers, and local emergency response coordination, while also giving the Department of Justice’s Office of School Safety a limited grant-making role. The bill would not require AED placement compliance unless grant funding is awarded for that purpose, but it would still require schools to have the underlying emergency response plans and training provisions in place.
The bill appears to have been framed as a school safety and student-athlete health measure, with its structure emphasizing prevention, preparedness, and rapid response to cardiac arrest. The inclusion of nationally recognized medical organizations, annual drills, and grant support suggests a generally practical and safety-oriented approach. However, the bill ultimately failed to advance, indicating that despite likely broad support for the goal of improving emergency readiness, it did not secure the necessary legislative agreement to become law.
The main points of contention are likely to have involved cost, implementation burden, and the scope of mandates on schools. Requiring AED placement, CPR/AED certification for coaches, and ongoing training and drills could raise concerns for school districts and charter schools about staffing, logistics, and funding, especially for smaller or lower-resourced schools. The bill’s grant program partially addresses those concerns, but the funding is capped and limited to certain uses, which may have left some stakeholders worried about unfunded or underfunded mandates. The fact that the bill failed to concur suggests unresolved disagreement over those practical and fiscal issues rather than over the underlying goal of cardiac emergency preparedness.