HB 115

 2026  26LSO-0414
                           STATE OF WYOMING
                           HOUSE BILL NO. HB0115
 Cardiac events in schools-planning and training.
 Sponsored by: Representative(s) Byron, Clouston, Erickson,
               Larsen, L, Larson, JT and Riggins and
               Senator(s) Dockstader, Landen, Nethercott
               and Schuler
                                  A BILL
                                     for
1 AN ACT relating to education; requiring school districts to
2 develop      cardiac    emergency   response   plans   as   specified;
3 providing an appropriation; and providing for an effective
4 date.
5
6 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:
7
8Section 1.      W.S. 21-3-138 is created to read:
9
1021-3-138.       Cardiac emergency response plans; athletic
11 cardiac emergency response plans.
12
13(a)    Each   school   district    board   of   trustees   shall
14 develop a cardiac emergency response plan as provided in
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1 this   section.      The    cardiac       emergency     response    plan      shall
2 apply to each school in the district, including any charter
3 school. The cardiac emergency response plan shall:
4
5(i)     Address     the        appropriate       use    of       school
6 personnel     to    respond     to     incidents        involving       a    person
7 experiencing        sudden      cardiac  arrest     or     a        similar
8 life-threatening emergency while on school property;
9
10(ii)     Integrate evidence-based elements into the
11 response    plan      as     recommended  by   the   American  heart
12 association        standards     or       other     nationally      recognized,
13 evidence-based  standards  focused  on  emergency
14 cardiovascular care;
15
16(iii)     Include requirements for the availability
17 and use of automatic external defibrillators which shall:
18
19(A)     Specify appropriate automatic external
20 defibrillator placement in every school in accordance with
21 the    American       heart     association  standards        or    other
22 nationally recognized, evidence-based standards focused on
23 emergency cardiovascular care;
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2(B)   Require       each     automatic  external
3 defibrillator to be identified with appropriate signage and
4 made available in an unlocked location on school property
5 that is able to be placed on a victim in not more than
6 three (3) minutes;
7
8(C)   Require       each     automatic  external
9 defibrillator to be tested and maintained according to the
10 manufacturer's operational guidelines;
11
12(D)   Require each school to provide notice
13 to     the   appropriate      first     aid,     ambulance      or    other
14 appropriate     emergency    medical      care   provider      as    defined
15 under W.S. 19-13-202(a)(i) regarding the automatic external
16 defibrillator including the type acquired and its location
17 in the school.
18
19(iv)    Require school nurses and other appropriate
20 school personnel to obtain and maintain training in first
21 aid,    cardiopulmonary      resuscitation       (CPR)   and    automatic
22 external defibrillator use. Training under this paragraph
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1 shall be consistent with national evidence-based emergency
2 cardiovascular care guidelines.
3
4(b)    Each       school     district       board        of    trustees  shall
5 develop      an    athletic        cardiac       emergency  response  plan   as
6 provided in this section. The athletic cardiac emergency
7 response plan shall apply to each school in the district,
8 including  any     charter     school,  that        has    an        athletic
9 department        or     organized        athletic  program.       The       athletic
10 cardiac emergency response plan shall:
11
12(i)       Address      the        appropriate  use     of       school
13 personnel  to    respond     to     incidents  involving  a    person
14 experiencing  sudden      cardiac  arrest        or      a       similar
15 life-threatening emergency while attending or participating
16 in   an athletic  practice,        game    or       event    while       on school
17 property;
18
19(ii)       Integrate evidence-based elements into the
20 response      plan        as     recommended  by     the     American  heart
21 association  standards     or        other     nationally  recognized,
22 evidence-based  standards  focused  on  emergency
23 cardiovascular care;
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2(iii)     Specify procedures for each athletic venue
3 in the district, which shall be rehearsed annually;
4
5(iv)    Be   distributed        to   all     athletics      staff
6 members and any other necessary school personnel and shall
7 also be made available to any health care professionals
8 that provide medical services during games, practices or
9 other events;
10
11(v)     Include   requirements       for    the    availability
12 and use of automatic external defibrillators which shall:
13
14(A)   Require       an        automated        external
15 defibrillator to be clearly marked and easily accessible in
16 an unlocked location at each athletic venue and event. The
17 automated external defibrillator shall be accessible during
18 the school day and during any school sponsored athletic
19 event   or     practice        if   pupils        of     the    school    are
20 participating;
21
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1(B)    Require       each       automatic  external
2 defibrillator to be tested and maintained according to the
3 manufacturer's operational guidelines;
4
5(C)    Require each school to provide notice
6 to     the     appropriate        first     aid,     ambulance       or       other
7 appropriate  emergency     medical    care    provider       as    defined
8 under W.S. 19-13-202(a)(i) regarding the automatic external
9 defibrillator including the type acquired and its location
10 in the athletic venue.
11
12(vi)     Require     all    athletic        coaches   and       other
13 appropriate personnel to obtain and maintain training in
14 first        aid,    cardiopulmonary  resuscitation  (CPR)       and
15 automatic external defibrillator use.  Training under this
16 paragraph shall be consistent with national evidence-based
17 emergency cardiovascular care guidelines.
18
19Section       2.    W.S.   21-3-110(a)        by     creating      a    new
20 paragraph (xlv) is amended to read:
21
2221-3-110.       Duties of boards of trustees.
23
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1(a)    The   board       of   trustees        in    each     school      district
2 shall:
3
4(xlv)       Commencing  with     school       year     2026-2027,
5 adopt policies, procedures and rules necessary to implement
6 the provisions of W.S. 21-3-138 related to acute cardiac
7 events in schools and athletic events and providing for the
8 availability of automatic external defibrillators.
9
10Section      3.    There        is     appropriated  fifty       thousand
11 dollars      ($50,000.00)        from        the    public        school    foundation
12 program      account      to     the     department  of     education-school
13 finance to provide funding to school districts to implement
14 cardiac      emergency  response       plans       and     athletic       cardiac
15 emergency response plans as required by section 1 of this
16 act    for    school      years        2026-2027       and        2027-2028.      School
17 districts     shall      be    reimbursed  based     on    actual       costs   to
18 implement the plans that are submitted to the department of
19 education-school finance, provided that, to the extent that
20 funds appropriated under this section are insufficient to
21 reimburse each school district for their costs to implement
22 the plans, priority for reimbursement shall be given to
23 school    districts       with       a      higher    percentage  of   students
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1 within the district who are eligible to participate in the
2 free and reduced price lunch program. This appropriation
3 shall be for the period beginning with the effective date
4 of this act and ending June 30, 2028. This appropriation
5 shall not be transferred or expended for any other purpose
6 and any unexpended, unobligated funds remaining from this
7 appropriation shall revert as provided by law on June 30,
8 2028.     It   is    the   intent      of     the   legislature      that   the
9 appropriation in this section be included in the standard
10 budget of the department of education-school finance for
11 the immediately succeeding fiscal biennium.
12
13Section      4.   This   act    is   effective     immediately       upon
14 completion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law
15 as     provided     by   Article      4,    Section   8   of   the     Wyoming
16 Constitution.
17
18(END)
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