Requires the commissioner of education to make recommendations to the board of regents relating to the adoption of instruction in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the use of AEDs in senior high schools.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
 
BILL NUMBER: A9298
SPONSOR: Weisenberg (MS)
 
TITLE OF BILL: An act to amend the education law, in relation to
requiring the commissioner of education to make recommendations to the
board of regents relating to the adoption of instruction in cardiopulmo-
nary resuscitation and the use of automated external defibrillators
(AEDs) in senior high schools
 
PURPOSE:
This bill requires the Commissioner of Education to make recommendations
to the Board of Regents in regard to requiring high schools to train
students in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and the use of automated
defibrillators (AEDs).
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 305 of the Education Law is amended by adding a new subdivision
44.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
EMS treats nearly 300,000 victims of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest each
year. 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 18 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 training be a
requirement for graduation. Several studies have demonstrated that trai-
nees, including school children can achieve acceptable levels of skill
proficiency in adult CPR in 30 minutes or less. This legislation does
not require all students to become certified in CPR. They just need to
learn the basic skills thereby making learning CPR easy and affordable.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New Bill
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None to the state.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.