Requires schools to provide instruction in cardiopulmonary resuscitation

BILL NUMBER:S6407

Title of bill

An act to amend the education law, in relation to requiring schools to provide instruction in cardiopulmonary resuscitation

Purpose

This bill requires training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation. {CPR) be given as a part of the high school health curriculum.

Summary of provisions

Section 1: Sets forth the instructions for Cardiopulmonary resuscitation instruction (CPR).

Section 2: Sets for the instructions for external defibrillators.

Section 3: This act shall take effect immediately.

Existing law

Currently, CPR may be offered as a voluntary addition to the health curriculum.

Justification

EMS treats nearly 300,000 victims of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest each suffer cardiac arrest outside the hospital survive to make it home from the hospital. Effective bystander CPR, provided immediately after sudden cardiac arrest, can double or triple a victim's chance of survival.

Sudden cardiac arrest can happen to anyone at any time. About 5,920 children 19 years old and under suffer out-of-hospital cardiac arrest each year from all causes - including trauma, cardiovascular causes and sudden infant death syndrome.

The American Heart Association recommends that hands-on CPR training be a requirement for graduation. Several studies have demonstrated that trainees, including school children, can achieve acceptable levels of skills proficiency in adult CPR in 30 minutes or less. This legislation does not require all students to become certified in CPR.

The American Heart Association's 2010 revised CPR guidelines make it even easier for more people to perform CPR. A greater emphasis is now placed on the simplest step - chest compressions. And hands-only CPR is easier for a bystander to perform and survival rates are similar to that of conventional CPR (with both compressions and breaths).

This legislation does not require all students to become certified in CPR just to learn the basic skills - thereby making learning CPR easy and affordable.

Due to the increased percentages of people diagnosed with heart disease each year, learning CPR can provide students with the knowledge necessary to save lives. This bill will ensure that all

lessons meet the established standards of professional organizations such as the American Heart Association and the American Red Cross. Adding CPR training as part of a student's health curriculum, will increase awareness of important life saving techniques and could ultimately save lives.

Effective date

This act shall take effect June 30, 2015. Effective immediately, the commissioner of education is authorized to promulgate any rule or regulation necessary for the timely implementation of this act on its effective date.