House Study Bill 730 - Introduced
HOUSE FILE _____
BY (PROPOSED COMMITTEE ON
PUBLIC SAFETY BILL BY
CHAIRPERSON THOMPSON)
A BILL FOR
1 An Act providing for cardiac emergency response plans in
2 schools and a cardiac emergency response plan grant program.
3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
TLSB 6332YC (3) 90
je/jh
 H.F. _____
1 Section 1. Section 256E.7, subsection 2, Code 2024, is
2 amended by adding the following new paragraph:
3 NEW PARAGRAPH. 0t. Be subject to and comply with the
4 requirements of section 280.36 relating to cardiac emergency
5 response plans.
6 Sec. 2. NEW SECTION. 280.36 Cardiac emergency response
7 plans —— grant program.
8 1. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise
9 requires:
10 a. “Automated external defibrillator” means a lightweight,
11 portable device that delivers an electric shock through the
12 chest to the heart that can potentially stop an irregular
13 heartbeat and allow a normal rhythm to resume following sudden
14 cardiac arrest.
15 b. “Cardiac emergency response plan” means a written
16 document that establishes specific steps to reduce death from
17 cardiac arrest in any applicable setting.
18 c. “High-need school” means a public or accredited nonpublic
19 school where at least fifty percent of students are eligible
20 to receive free or reduced-fee meals pursuant to the federal
21 National School Lunch Act of 1966, 42 U.S.C. §1751 et seq., and
22 the federal Child Nutrition Act of 1966, 42 U.S.C. §1771 et
23 seq. or which participates in the federal community eligibility
24 provision.
25 d. “Sudden cardiac arrest” means a life-threatening medical
26 condition requiring immediate emergency treatment characterized
27 by the sudden cessation of cardiac activity causing circulatory
28 failure throughout the body, which can lead to death if not
29 treated quickly.
30 2. By July 1, 2025, the board of directors of a school
31 district and the authorities in charge of each accredited
32 nonpublic school shall develop a cardiac emergency response
33 plan that addresses the appropriate use of school personnel
34 to respond to incidents involving an individual experiencing
35 sudden cardiac arrest or a similar life-threatening emergency
LSB 6332YC (3) 90
-1- je/jh 1/5
 H.F. _____
1 while on school grounds, including but not limited to while
2 attending or participating in an athletic practice or event.
3 The board and authorities shall work directly with local
4 emergency service providers to integrate the cardiac emergency
5 response plan into the local community’s emergency medical
6 services protocols.
7 3. Each cardiac emergency response plan shall integrate
8 evidence-based core elements, such as those recommended by
9 the guidelines of the American heart association or another
10 nationally recognized, evidence-based standard. The plan shall
11 integrate, at a minimum, the following guidelines:
12 a. Establishing a cardiac emergency response team in each
13 school district or school.
14 b. Activating the cardiac emergency response team in
15 response to sudden cardiac arrest.
16 c. Implementing automated external defibrillator placement
17 and routine maintenance within each school in accordance with
18 guidelines of the American heart association.
19 d. Disseminating the cardiac emergency response plan
20 throughout school buildings and grounds.
21 e. Maintaining ongoing training of designated staff
22 regarding use of first aid techniques, automated external
23 defibrillators, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation, in
24 accordance with guidelines of the American heart association.
25 Designated staff shall include but not be limited to coaches
26 and athletic trainers employed by the school and school nurses.
27 f. Scheduled practice in implementation of the cardiac
28 emergency response plan.
29 g. Integrating local emergency medical service providers
30 into the cardiac emergency response plan.
31 h. Ongoing and annual review and evaluation of the cardiac
32 emergency response plan.
33 4. The board of directors of a school district and the
34 authorities in charge of each accredited nonpublic school
35 may accept gifts, grants, and donations, including in-kind
LSB 6332YC (3) 90
-2- je/jh 2/5
 H.F. _____
1 donations, designated for the purchase of automated external
2 defibrillators that meet the standards established by the
3 federal food and drug administration and for the costs of
4 inspection and maintenance of, and staff training in the use
5 of, automated external defibrillators.
6 5. The department of education may establish procedures
7 for monitoring compliance with this section by public schools,
8 accredited nonpublic schools, and charter schools.
9 6. Subject to an appropriation by the general assembly for
10 the purpose of this subsection, the department of education
11 shall establish a cardiac emergency response plan grant program
12 to provide assistance to public, accredited nonpublic, and
13 charter schools in implementing core elements of evidence-based
14 cardiac emergency response plans in accordance with this
15 section and guidelines of the American heart association.
16 Grants shall be used for activities and equipment that promote
17 implementation of evidence-based cardiac emergency response
18 plans including but not limited to the purchase of automated
19 external defibrillators and maintenance thereof, basic first
20 aid training, and the purchase of educational materials and
21 cardiopulmonary resuscitation training for faculty and staff.
22 The department shall prioritize high-need schools when awarding
23 grants. The state board of education shall adopt rules
24 pursuant to chapter 17A to administer the program, including
25 rules providing for a grant application; selection, evaluation,
26 and award amount criteria; and applicable procedures and
27 timelines for the program, if an appropriation by the general
28 assembly for the purpose of this subsection is enacted.
29 Sec. 3. STATE MANDATE FUNDING SPECIFIED. In accordance
30 with section 25B.2, subsection 3, the state cost of requiring
31 compliance with any state mandate included in this Act shall
32 be paid by a school district from state school foundation
33 aid received by the school district under section 257.16 and
34 any additional appropriation enacted for purposes of section
35 280.36, as enacted by this Act. This specification of the
LSB 6332YC (3) 90
-3- je/jh 3/5
 H.F. _____
1 payment of the state cost shall be deemed to meet all of the
2 state funding-related requirements of section 25B.2, subsection
3 3, and no additional state funding shall be necessary for the
4 full implementation of this Act by and enforcement of this Act
5 against all affected school districts.
6 EXPLANATION
7 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
8 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
9 This bill requires school districts, accredited nonpublic
10 schools, and charter schools to develop a cardiac emergency
11 response plan, as defined in the bill, by July 1, 2025, that
12 addresses the appropriate use of school personnel to respond to
13 incidents involving an individual experiencing sudden cardiac
14 arrest or a similar life-threatening emergency while on school
15 grounds. The bill requires school districts, accredited
16 nonpublic schools, and charter schools to work directly with
17 local emergency service providers to integrate the cardiac
18 emergency response plan into the local community’s emergency
19 medical services protocols.
20 The bill requires that each cardiac emergency response plan
21 integrate evidence-based core elements and specifies guidelines
22 that must be included in the plan, including guidelines
23 for cardiac emergency response teams, automated external
24 defibrillator placement and routine maintenance within each
25 school, dissemination of the plan, maintaining ongoing training
26 of designated staff regarding specified subjects, review and
27 evaluation of the plan, and other matters.
28 The bill authorizes school districts, accredited nonpublic
29 schools, and charter schools to accept gifts, grants, and
30 donations designated for the purchase of an automated external
31 defibrillator and for the costs of inspection and maintenance
32 of, and staff training in the use of, automated external
33 defibrillators.
34 The bill authorizes the department of education to establish
35 procedures for monitoring compliance with the bill.
LSB 6332YC (3) 90
-4- je/jh 4/5
 H.F. _____
1 Subject to an appropriation of funds, the bill requires
2 the department of education to establish a cardiac emergency
3 response plan grant program to provide assistance to public,
4 accredited nonpublic, and charter schools in implementing
5 core elements of evidence-based cardiac emergency response
6 plans. The bill specifies uses of the grants and directs the
7 department to prioritize high-need schools, as defined in the
8 bill, when awarding grants. The bill requires the state board
9 of education to adopt rules to administer the program if an
10 appropriation by the general assembly for the purpose of the
11 program is enacted.
12 The bill may include a state mandate as defined in Code
13 section 25B.3. The bill requires that the state cost of
14 any state mandate included in the bill be paid by a school
15 district from state school foundation aid received by the
16 school district under Code section 257.16 and any additional
17 appropriation enacted for the purpose of Code section
18 280.36, as enacted by the bill. The specification is deemed
19 to constitute state compliance with any state mandate
20 funding-related requirements of Code section 25B.2. The
21 inclusion of this specification is intended to reinstate the
22 requirement of political subdivisions to comply with any state
23 mandates included in the bill.
LSB 6332YC (3) 90
-5- je/jh 5/5


Statutes affected:
Introduced: 256E.7