What's happening
This bill requires schools to educate and monitor students for signs of sudden cardiac arrest, updating training and regulations for staff and coaches.
Why it matters
Increases student safety by mandating that schools proactively educate both staff and parents about the warning signs and risks of sudden cardiac arrest in youth, potentially improving early detection and response.
Requires coaches and athletic staff to receive specific training in recognizing signs of cardiac arrest—not just general first aid—ensuring that those supervising student athletics are equipped to identify life-threatening symptoms.
Authorizes schools to create multidisciplinary "sudden cardiac arrest management teams" (including athletic, medical, and administrative staff), which can help coordinate prevention, education, and emergency response efforts, and fosters a more systematic approach to student health.
Ensures information about sudden cardiac arrest is widely accessible by mandating its inclusion on school and health department websites, as well as in parental consent forms for athletic participation, increasing awareness among families and the school community.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Prevent Sudden Cardiac Arrests
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
History
- Reported and committed to finance
- Print number 2996a
- Amend (t) and recommit to health
- Referred to health
- Reported and committed to finance
- Referred to health
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Prevent Student Cardiac Arrests
In Assembly Committee · Ways And Means · Sponsor Jeffrion Aubry
Full text
3 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
2996--A
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 31, 2019
Introduced by Sens. GAUGHRAN, RAMOS, JACKSON, KENNEDY, THOMAS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Health -- recommitted to the Committee on Health in accordance with Senate Rule 6, sec. 8 -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the public health law and the education law, in relation to directing the commissioners of education and health to establish rules and regulations for the treatment and monitoring of students of school districts, boards of cooperative educational services and nonpublic schools who exhibit signs or symptoms of pending or increased risk of sudden cardiac arrest
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Dominic Murray sudden cardiac arrest prevention act".
§ 2. Section 206 of the public health law is amended by adding a new subdivision 31 to read as follows:
31. The commissioner shall develop information that is reviewed by the commissioner of education related to students who exhibit signs or symptoms of pending or increased risk of sudden cardiac arrest. Such information shall include, but not be limited to, the definition of sudden cardiac arrest, signs and symptoms of sudden cardiac arrest, and guidelines for a student's participation in interscholastic athletics after exhibiting signs or symptoms of pending or increased risk of sudden cardiac arrest. Such information shall be posted on the department's website.
§ 3. The education law is amended by adding a new section 923 to read as follows:
§ 923. Sudden cardiac arrest. a. The commissioner shall review the information developed by the commissioner of health required by subdivi-
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00016-02-0
S. 2996--A 2
sion thirty-one of section two hundred six of the public health law to assist in the education and awareness of the signs and symptoms of pending or increased risk of sudden cardiac arrest. Such information shall be posted on the department's website. In addition, each school shall be required to include such information reviewed by the department and developed by the department of health in any permission form or parent or person in parental relation consent form or similar document that may be required for a student's participation in interscholastic athletics and shall also include such information, or reference how to obtain such information from the department and the department of health's websites, on the school's website, if one exists.
b. The commissioner shall promulgate rules and regulations that authorize school districts, in their discretion, to establish a sudden cardiac arrest management team. Such management team shall be composed of an athletic director, a school nurse, a school physician, a coach of the interscholastic team, an athletic trainer or other appropriate personnel as designated by the school or school district. Provided further, every sudden cardiac arrest management team may establish and implement a program that annually provides information on sudden cardiac arrest to parents or persons in parental relation. In developing such rules and regulations, the commissioner shall consider input from stakeholders and other interested parties including, but not limited to, parents, teachers, students, school administrators, school athletic trainers, coaches, medical and health professionals, the public schools athletic league (PSAL), the New York state public high school athletic association (NYSPHSAA), and other athletic associations.
§ 4. Subdivision 1 of section 3001-b of the education law, as added by chapter 498 of the laws of 1991, is amended to read as follows:
1. On and after the effective date of this section, in addition to any provision of law or rule or regulation of the department related to the requirements necessary for teachers within the public school systems, whether certified in physical education or not, to coach any extra-class athletic activity, it shall be required of such teachers, except as provided in subdivision two of this section, to hold a valid certificate of completion of a course of study in first aid knowledge and skills offered by [the American National Red Cross] a nationally recognized organization, as defined in paragraph (d) of subdivision one of section three thousand-b of the public health law and approved by the commissioner, or to meet equivalent requirements as certified by the commissioner. Any such course of study or equivalent requirements must include instruction in recognizing signs and symptoms of pending or increased risk of cardiac arrest and sudden cardiac arrest and the administration of adult cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Prior to the start of each sports season, coaches must provide valid evidence to their chief school officer that their first aid and adult cardiopulmonary resuscitation knowledge and skills are current pursuant to the requirements established by [the American National Red Cross] a nationally recognized organization, as defined in paragraph (d) of subdivision one of section three thousand-b of the public health law or that they meet equivalent requirements as certified by the commissioner.
§ 5. Subdivision 1 of section 3001-c of the education law, as added by chapter 39 of the laws of 1994, is amended to read as follows:
1. On and after the effective date of this section, it shall be required of coaches of high school extra-class athletic activities in a nonpublic school system, except as provided in subdivision two of this section, to hold a valid certificate of completion of a course of study
S. 2996--A 3
in first aid knowledge and skills offered by [the American National Red Cross] a nationally recognized organization, as defined in paragraph (d) of subdivision one of section three thousand-b of the public health law and approved by the commissioner, or to meet equivalent requirements as certified by the commissioner. Any such course of study or equivalent requirements must include instruction in recognizing signs and symptoms of pending or increased risk of cardiac arrest and sudden cardiac arrest and the administration of adult cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Prior to the start of each sports season, coaches must provide valid evidence to their chief school officer that their first aid and adult cardiopulmonary resuscitation knowledge and skills are current pursuant to the requirements established by [the American National Red Cross] a nationally recognized organization, as defined in paragraph (d) of subdivision one of section three thousand-b of the public health law or that they meet equivalent requirements as certified by the commissioner.
§ 6. This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed on or before such effective date.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the public health law and the education law, in relation to directing the commissioners of education and health to establish rules and regulations for the treatment and monitoring of students of school districts, boards of cooperative educational services and nonpub- lic schools who exhibit signs or symptoms of pending or increased risk of sudden cardiac arrest
Purpose
This legislation would establish the Dominic Murray Sudden Cardiac Arrest Prevention Act.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 contains the short title of the act.
Read the full memo (736 words)
Section 2 amends section 206 of the public health law by adding subdivi- sion 31 to require the Commissioner of Health to develop information to be reviewed by the Commissioner of Education, relating to pupil's exhib- iting signs or symptoms of pending or increased risk of sudden cardiac arrest, and provide for the posting of the information on the depart- ment's official website.
Section 3 of this bill adds a new Section 923 to the education law to direct the Commissioner of Education to review the information created by the Department of Health relating to pupils who exhibit signs or symptoms of pending or increased risk of sudden cardiac arrest. Such information will be posted on the Department's website, included in permission form, consent form or similar document that may be required for a student's participation in interscholastic athletics. The Commis- sioner of Education will promulgate rules and regulations that authorize school districts, at their discretion, to establish a SCA management team.
Section 4 and 5 amend the education law to make conforming changes to the statute governing the training required by coaches. Commissioner's Regulation Part 135.5 already requires that all coaches be trained in First Aid and Adult CPR/AED Skills. The Commissioner's Regulations have also expanded the eligible list of training agencies beyond the American Red Cross. This section merely conforms statute with regulation.
Section 6 specifies this act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding the date on which it shall have become law, provided that, effective immediately, any rules and regulations necessary to implement the provisions of this act on its effective date are authorized and directed to be completed on or before such date.
Justification
Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) is the leading cause of death among school athletes. As many as 7,000 to 10,000 young people die from SCA every year. On October 5th, 2009, Dominic Murray (age 17), suffered a sudden cardiac arrest and collapsed on the court during a basketball game just weeks in to his Freshman Year at Farmingdale State College. His sudden cardiac arrest symptoms went unrecognized by all around him. SCA is a life or death emergency. For every minute that passes without cardiopul- monary resuscitation (CPR) and use of an automated external defibrilla- tor (AED), the victim sustains a 10% loss of a chance of survival.
What happened to Dominic and many other young athletes can be prevented by informing and educating our coaches, pupils, and parents about SCA. As our children spend a significant amount of time in school and partic- ipating in school related activities, it is critical for schools to educate students and their families about SCA and its signs and symp- toms. The Dominic Murray Sudden Cardiac Arrest Prevention Act is neces- sary in order to fill this void.
Current law, together with Part 135.5 of the Commissioner's Regulations, already require that coaches at both public and non-public schools be trained in first aid, adult cardiopulmonary resuscitation and use of automated external defibrillator. All materials required by this legis- lation will be compiled by the State. The development of a sudden cardi- ac arrest management team would be at the option of the school district.
Similar legislation has been enacted in Pennsylvania, Indiana, New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Maryland, North Carolina, Florida, Washington, Ohio, California, and Georgia.
Legislative history
S1297 of 2017-18 S7848 of 2016
Fiscal implications
Minimal given all coaches are already required to take first aid, adult cardiopulmonary resuscitation and use of an automated external defibril- lator training.
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding the date on which it shall have become law, provided that, effective immediately, any rules and regulations necessary to implement the provisions of this act on its effective date are authorized and directed to be completed on or before such date.
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