Senate Bill 2470

AN ACT TO REQUIRE SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN GRADES 9-12, INCLUDING OPERATORS OF INDEPENDENT CHARTER SCHOOLS, TO PROVIDE ENROLLED STUDENTS INSTRUCTION IN CARDIOPULMONARY RESUSCITATION (CPR) AND THE USE OF AN AUTOMATED EXTERNAL DEFIBRILLATOR (AED) AS A REQUIREMENT FOR GRADUATION FROM HIGH SCHOOL; THE INSTRUCTION MUST BE BASED ON AN INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAM ESTABLISHED BY THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION, THE AMERICAN RED CROSS, OR ANOTHER PROGRAM WHICH IS NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED AND USES THE MOST CURRENT NATIONAL EVIDENCE-BASED EMERGENCY CARDIOVASCULAR CARE GUIDELINES AND INCORPORATES PSYCHOMOTOR SKILLS DEVELOPMENT INTO THE INSTRUCTION; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. The Legislature finds the following:

(a) According to the American Heart Association, without immediate, effective CPR from a bystander, a person's chance of surviving sudden cardiac arrest decreases seven percent (7%) to ten percent (10%) per minute;

(b) On average, forty percent (40%) of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest victims receive bystander CPR, which can double or triple a person's chance of surviving cardiac arrest; and

(c) According to American Medical Response, EMS teams treat nearly three hundred thousand (300,000) cases of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, but by the time an ambulance arrives, often too many minutes have passed for resuscitation efforts to be effective.

SECTION 2. As used in this act, "psychomotor skills" is defined as the use of hands-on practicing to support cognitive learning (cognitive, only training does not qualify).

SECTION 3. Beginning in the 2014-2015 school year, each local school governing board operating school grades 9-12 and the operator of each charter school that operates school grades 9-12 shall provide instruction in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the use of an automated external defibrillator to pupils enrolled in the school district and/or charter school as a requirement for graduation from high school. The local school board and operator of the charter school shall use any of the following, and shall incorporate into the instruction the psychomotor skills necessary to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation and use of an automated external defibrillator:

(a) An instruction program developed by the American Heart Association or the American Red Cross.

(b) An instructional program which is nationally recognized and is based on the most current national evidence-based Emergency Cardiovascular Care guidelines for cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the use of an automated external defibrillator.

(c) A licensed teacher shall not be required to be a certified training of cardiopulmonary resuscitation, to facilitate, provide or oversee such instruction for noncertification.

(d) Courses which result in a certification being earned are required to be taught by an authorized CPR/AED instructor.

SECTION 4. The State Department of Education shall establish a procedure for monitoring adherence by schools boards and operators of independent charter schools to the requirements set forth in Section 3 of this act and may adjust MAEP or state grant/shared revenue amounts based on failure to comply with the requirements set forth in Section 3 of this act.

SECTION 5. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2014.