OHIO LEGISLATIVE SERVICE COMMISSION
Office of Research Legislative Budget
www.lsc.ohio.gov and Drafting Office
H.B. 47 Bill Analysis
135th General Assembly
Click here for H.B. 47’s Fiscal Note
Version: As Passed by the House
Primary Sponsors: Reps. Brown and Bird
Effective date:
Audra Tidball, Attorney
SUMMARY
 Requires the placement of automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) in both of the
following:
 Each public and chartered nonpublic school;
 Each municipal sports and recreation location, except in townships and villages with
populations of less than 5,000.
 Modifies training requirements related to AEDs in public and chartered nonpublic
schools.
 Requires the Department of Health to develop a model emergency action plan for the
use of AEDs by public and chartered nonpublic schools, youth sports organizations, and
municipal sports and recreation locations.
 Requires, rather than permits, each public and chartered nonpublic school and youth
sports organization, before each athletic season, to hold an informational meeting
regarding the symptoms and warning signs of sudden cardiac arrest for student and
youth athletes.
DETAILED ANALYSIS
AEDs in schools and sports and recreation locations
Schools
Placement
The bill revises the law on the placement of automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) in
schools by requiring, rather than permitting, their placement in schools and by expanding the
locations to which the law applies.
June 23, 2023
Office of Research and Drafting LSC Legislative Budget Office
Current law authorizes each school district, community school, and chartered nonpublic
school to require the placement of an AED in each school under its control. It is silent regarding
the placement of AEDs in other schools. The bill, however, requires all school districts,
community schools, STEM schools, college-preparatory boarding schools, and chartered
nonpublic schools to place an AED in each school under its control. 1
Training and model action plan
Regarding training in the use of AEDs, the bill requires each district and school to
provide training to teachers, principals, administrative employees, coaches, athletic trainers,
other persons that supervise interscholastic athletics, and any other employee subject to in-
service training requirements under continuing law. The training must be incorporated into the
in-service training. Training may be provided to any other employee.2 The bill’s training
provisions are in place of provisions in existing law that require:
 School districts to train each person employed by the district, other than substitutes,
certain adult education instructors, and persons employed on an as needed, seasonal,
or intermittent basis, so long as the exempted person is not employed to coach or
supervise interscholastic athletics;3
 Chartered nonpublic schools and community schools, if AED placement is required by
the school under the permissive authority in existing law, to require that a sufficient
number of the staff assigned to each school complete appropriate training in the use of
an AED.4
The bill requires each district and school to adopt an emergency action plan for the use
of AEDs. They may use the model plan developed by the Department of Health (see below).
Violations
The bill requires the Department of Education to develop a procedure for reporting
violations of the bill’s requirement to place AEDs in schools.5
Sports and recreation locations
Except as discussed below, the bill requires the controlling authorities of municipal
sports and recreation locations to place an AED in each location under their control.6 The bill
defines “sports and recreation location” as indoor recreation centers and facilities,
gymnasiums, swimming pools, and playing fields that are designated, operated, and maintained
1 R.C. 3313.6023, 3313.717, 3314.16, 3326.11, and 3328.24.
2 R.C. 3313.6023(A).
3 R.C. 3313.6023(B) and 3313.717(B).
4 R.C. 3313.717 and 3314.16.
5 R.C. 3313.6023, 3313.717, 3314.16, 3326.11, and 3328.24.
6 R.C. 755.13(D)(1)(a).
P a g e |2 H.B. 47
As Passed by the House
Office of Research and Drafting LSC Legislative Budget Office
under existing law that authorizes municipal corporations, townships, and counties to create
boards to supervise and maintain parks, playgrounds, playfields, gymnasiums, public baths,
swimming pools, or indoor recreation centers.7
The bill requires each controlling authority to have a sufficient number of staff persons
at each sports and recreation location successfully complete an appropriate training course in
the use of AEDs and to adopt an emergency action plan for their use.8
Exception
The bill’s requirements relating to AED placement, training, and emergency action plans
in sports and recreation locations do not apply to a township or village if the population of the
township or village is less than 5,000.9
Reporting violations
The Department of Health must develop a procedure by which persons may report
violations of the bill’s requirement to place AEDs in sports and recreation locations.10
Model emergency action plan
The bill requires the Department of Health to develop a model emergency action plan
for the use of AEDs by public and chartered nonpublic schools, youth sports organizations, and
sports and recreation locations. The model plan must require that the plan be practiced at least
quarterly.11
Sudden cardiac arrest information − student and youth athletes
The bill requires, rather than permits as under current law, public and chartered
nonpublic schools and youth sports organizations to hold informational meetings regarding the
symptoms and warning signs of sudden cardiac arrest for all ages of students or youth athletes,
before the start of each athletic season.12
The Department of Health must develop a procedure for reporting youth sports
organizations that violate the protocols regarding sudden cardiac arrest in continuing law,
discussed below, and the bill’s mandatory information meeting provision.13
7 R.C. 755.13(E)(2).
8 R.C. 755.13(D)(1).
9 R.C. 755.13(D)(2).
10 R.C. 3701.851.
11 R.C. 3701.851.
12R.C. 3313.5310(B) and 3707.58(B); R.C. 3313.5310 applies to community schools, STEM schools, and
college-preparatory boarding schools through references in R.C. 3314.03(A)(11)(d), not in the bill,
3326.11, and 3328.24.
13 R.C. 3701.851.
P a g e |3 H.B. 47
As Passed by the House
Office of Research and Drafting LSC Legislative Budget Office
Background – sudden cardiac arrest protocols
Continuing law prescribes the following protocols for recognizing sudden cardiac arrest
in student and youth athletes:
1. Each student and youth athlete, before participating in an athletic activity, must submit
a signed form indicating review of sudden cardiac arrest guidelines, which the
Departments of Health and Education must develop jointly;
2. A student or youth athlete must be evaluated and cleared by specified health
professionals before participation if (a) the student or athlete’s biological parent, sibling,
or child has experienced sudden cardiac arrest, or (b) the student or athlete is known to
have exhibited syncope or fainting at any time before or following an athletic activity;
3. A coach must remove a student or youth athlete from participation if the student or
athlete exhibits syncope or fainting, and the student or athlete cannot return to
participation until evaluated and cleared by a specified health professional; and
4. An individual may not coach an athletic activity unless the individual has completed, on
an annual basis, a sudden cardiac arrest training course approved by the Department of
Health.14
With regard to the annual training, the bill clarifies, in the school law, that “individual”
includes coaches and assistant coaches.15
HISTORY
Action Date
Introduced 02-15-23
Reported, H. Health Provider Services 04-26-23
Reported, H. Rules and Reference 06-13-23
Passed House (85-9) 06-14-23
ANHB0047PH-135/ts
14 R.C. 3313.5310, 3707.58, and 3707.59, latter not in the bill.
15 R.C. 3313.5310(D).
P a g e |4 H.B. 47
As Passed by the House