SPONSOR: Gallick
This bill creates the "Sudden Cardiac Arrest Screening Act". The bill requires that beginning in the 2027-28 school year the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education in collaboration with the Department of Health and Senior Services and the Missouri State High School Activities Association(MSHSAA) develop and distribute education materials on sudden cardiac arrest, including diseases that can cause it, the nature and warning signs of a cardiac arrest, and the risk associated with participation in athletic activity.
The bill requires educational materials to be distributed during a student athlete's preparticipation physical examination and requires a signed acknowledgment of the receipt and review of the educational materials by the student athlete and the athlete's parent or guardian before participation in athletic activity.
Beginning in the 2027-28 school year coaches for athletic activities must complete a cardiac arrest training course provided by MSHSAA or a qualified provider. Qualified medical professionals that perform physical examinations for student athletes must include a cardiovascular prescreening as part of the examination.
The bill outlines key pediatric cardiovascular prescreening elements, including a targeted personal and family history along with a focused physical examination. Any athlete with a positive finding in the prescreening will be referred to a cardiologist for additional evaluation and testing. The bill requires that such prescreening take place within the three months before the student athletes athletic activity.
The Department of Health and Senior Services must compile and publish on its website an annual report containing the total number of exams and the number of referrals that were made and include additional statistics specified in the bill.
The bill also requires that the qualified medical professionals performing physical exams of student athletes receive continuing education, as specified in the bill, implemented by the State Board of Registration for the Healing Arts and the Missouri State Board of Nursing, within the Department of Professional Registration.
Statutes affected: