Florida Senate - 2024 CS for CS for SB 830
By the Committees on Fiscal Policy; and Health Policy; and
Senators Collins and Simon
594-03384-24 2024830c2
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to student cardiac and medical
3 emergencies; providing a short title; creating s.
4 1003.457, F.S.; requiring each public school to have
5 at least one automated external defibrillator on
6 school grounds; providing requirements for such
7 defibrillators; encouraging public schools to have a
8 sufficient number of defibrillators on school grounds,
9 as determined by the Cardiac Emergency Response Plan,
10 to allow a person to retrieve one within a specified
11 timeframe; encouraging each public school to establish
12 public and private partnerships and seek gifts,
13 grants, and other donations for specified purposes;
14 encouraging each charter school and private school to
15 have at least one defibrillator on school grounds and
16 to comply with specified requirements; authorizing
17 such schools to utilize specified state contracts;
18 requiring that such schools be provided with certain
19 protocols and plans; providing immunity from liability
20 for school employees and students under the Good
21 Samaritan Act and the Cardiac Arrest Survival Act;
22 requiring the Department of Education to enter into
23 statewide contracts for specified purposes; requiring
24 the Commissioner of Education, at his or her sole
25 discretion, to create and disseminate specified
26 protocols and plans relating to the use of
27 defibrillators in schools; requiring the State Board
28 of Education to adopt rules; amending s. 1012.55,
29 F.S.; revising the requirements for certain athletic
30 coaches to include certification in cardiopulmonary
31 resuscitation, first aid, and the use of an automatic
32 external defibrillator; providing requirements for
33 such certification; providing an effective date.
34
35 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
36
37 Section 1. This act may be cited as the “HeartCharged Act.”
38 Section 2. Section 1003.457, Florida Statutes, is created
39 to read:
40 1003.457 Automated external defibrillators on school
41 grounds.—
42 (1)(a) In addition to the requirements of s. 1006.165, each
43 public school must have at least one operational automated
44 external defibrillator on school grounds. Each defibrillator
45 must be placed according to guidelines set by an organization
46 focused on emergency cardiovascular care, including placement in
47 a location that is unlocked and easily accessible to anyone at
48 any time, including outside of the school year. Such
49 defibrillator may not be placed in the school’s athletic
50 facilities. Each defibrillator must have appropriate
51 accompanying signage, including, but not limited to, signage at
52 the defibrillator’s exact location directing responders to the
53 building or room where the defibrillator is routinely kept. Each
54 defibrillator and all of its components must be maintained
55 according to the manufacturer’s instructions and kept in proper
56 working order. Each school is encouraged to have or work towards
57 acquiring and placing a sufficient number of defibrillators on
58 school grounds, as determined by the Cardiac Emergency Response
59 Plan, to allow a person to retrieve a defibrillator within 3
60 minutes after a cardiac or medical emergency in which the use of
61 a defibrillator is needed anywhere on school grounds. Each
62 school is encouraged to establish public and private
63 partnerships and seek grants, gifts, and other donations to
64 cover the costs associated with the purchase, placement, and
65 training in the use of a defibrillator.
66 (b) Each charter school and private school is encouraged to
67 have at least one operational defibrillator on school grounds
68 and to meet the requirements of paragraph (a). A charter or
69 private school that elects to comply with this section may
70 utilize the statewide contracts under subsection (3) and will be
71 provided with all protocols for the deployment and
72 administration of defibrillators in schools, as disseminated
73 pursuant to subsection (4).
74 (2) The use of defibrillators or cardiopulmonary
75 resuscitation is immune from civil liability, pursuant to ss.
76 768.13 and 768.1325, also known as the Good Samaritan Act and
77 the Cardiac Arrest Survival Act, respectively.
78 (3) The Department of Education shall enter into statewide
79 contracts for defibrillators, pursuant to the updated
80 technologies and conveniences of available defibrillators on the
81 market, to provide statewide discounts to schools and school
82 districts.
83 (4) The Commissioner of Education, at his or her sole
84 discretion, shall create and disseminate all of the following:
85 (a) The protocols for the deployment and administration of
86 defibrillators in schools.
87 (b) A Cardiac Emergency Response Plan in accordance with
88 guidelines set by nationally recognized, evidence-based
89 standards to be developed by each school which addresses the
90 appropriate use of school personnel to respond to incidents
91 involving an individual experiencing sudden cardiac arrest or a
92 similar life-threatening emergency while on school grounds.
93 (c) Appropriate school staff must be trained in first aid,
94 cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and automated external
95 defibrillator use that follows evidence-based guidelines set
96 forth by an organization focused on emergency cardiovascular
97 care.
98 (5) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules to
99 administer this section, including those necessary for the
100 protocols and plans created and disseminated under subsection
101 (4).
102 Section 3. Paragraph (a) of subsection (2) of section
103 1012.55, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
104 1012.55 Positions for which certificates required.—
105 (2)(a)1. Each person who is employed and renders service as
106 an athletic coach in any public school in any district of this
107 state shall:
108 a. Hold a valid temporary or professional certificate or an
109 athletic coaching certificate. The athletic coaching certificate
110 may be used for either part-time or full-time positions.
111 b. Hold and maintain a certification in cardiopulmonary
112 resuscitation, first aid, and the use of an automatic external
113 defibrillator. The certification must be consistent with
114 national evidence-based emergency cardiovascular care
115 guidelines.
116 2. The provisions of this subsection do not apply to any
117 athletic coach who voluntarily renders service and who is not
118 employed by any public school district of this state.
119 Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024.