PRINTER'S NO. 727
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
701
Session of
2019
INTRODUCED BY BROWN, PICKETT, ZIMMERMAN, MURT, MILLARD,
STEPHENS, OTTEN, SAYLOR, DeLUCA, WHEELAND, SCHWEYER, FREEMAN,
HILL-EVANS, DAVIDSON, HARKINS, NEILSON, BOBACK, READSHAW,
BARRAR, RADER, DRISCOLL, SAPPEY, HEFFLEY, FITZGERALD, TOOHIL
AND STAATS, MARCH 5, 2019
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, MARCH 5, 2019
AN ACT
Amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An
act relating to the public school system, including certain
provisions applicable as well to private and parochial
schools; amending, revising, consolidating and changing the
laws relating thereto," in school health services, further
providing for automatic external defibrillators and providing
for sudden cardiac event emergency action plan for athletic
activities.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Section 1423 of the act of March 10, 1949
(P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, is
amended by adding a subsection to read:
Section 1423. Automatic External Defibrillators.--* * *
(i.3) (1) Each school entity and nonpublic school shall
have an automatic external defibrillator present at all
interscholastic athletic events, including practices, sponsored
by the school entity or nonpublic school.
(2) The automatic external defibrillator required under this
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subsection may either be property of the school entity or
nonpublic school or on the premises with emergency medical
personnel.
(3) If the automatic external defibrillator is property of
the school entity or nonpublic school, school personnel who are
expected to use the automatic external defibrillator shall
complete the training required under subsection (d).
(4) A school entity or nonpublic school may acquire an
automatic external defibrillator required under this subsection
by donation, through a fundraising effort or by any other means.
* * *
Section 2. The act is amended by adding a section to read:
Section 1425. Sudden Cardiac Event Emergency Action Plan for
Athletic Activities.--(a) Beginning with the 2019-2020 school
year, each school entity and nonpublic school shall establish
and implement a sudden cardiac event emergency action plan for
responding to a sudden cardiac event at an athletic activity,
including an event in which the use of an automatic external
defibrillator may be necessary. The plan shall be consistent
with the provisions of section 1423 and include the following,
at a minimum:
(1) A cardiac emergency response team list, comprised of
individuals who have current cardiopulmonary
resuscitation/automatic external defibrillator certification.
The list shall include school nurses, coaches and at least five
other full-time school personnel. The list shall be updated once
a year.
(2) Detailed procedures on responding to a sudden cardiac
event which shall include the identification of school personnel
who shall be responsible for all the following:
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(i) Responding to an individual experiencing a sudden
cardiac event.
(ii) Contacting 911 and providing a copy of the plan to
local emergency response and dispatch agencies and assisting
emergency responders in reaching the individual experiencing a
sudden cardiac event.
(iii) Starting cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
(iv) Retrieving and using the automatic external
defibrillator.
(v) Placement and maintenance of automated external
defibrillators, including the recommended number of automatic
external defibrillators inside a school building, outside a
school building and backups that shall be held in reserve for
use as replacements for an automatic external defibrillator
which may be out-of-service.
(vi) Conducting an annual review and evaluation of the plan,
including comparing the plan to updated recommendations from the
American Heart Association. The annual review and evaluation
shall be conducted by the school entity or nonpublic school's
administrative staff.
(b) As used in this section, the following words and phrases
shall have the meanings given to them in this subsection unless
the context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Automatic external defibrillator" means a portable device
that uses electric shock to restore a stable heart rhythm to an
individual in cardiac arrest.
"Nonpublic school" means a nonprofit school, other than a
public school within this Commonwealth, wherein a resident of
this Commonwealth may legally fulfill the compulsory school
attendance requirements of this act and which meets the
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applicable requirements of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of
1964 (Public Law 88-352, 78 Stat. 241).
"School entity" means an area vocational-technical school, a
charter school, a cyber charter school, an intermediate unit or
a school district.
Section 3. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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