HBA-MPM H.B. 821 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 821
By: Giddings
Public Education
7/10/2001
Enrolled



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

The American Heart Association estimates that each day more than 95 percent
of Americans who suffer sudden cardiac arrest die before reaching the
hospital.  Additionally, at least 50,000 lives could be saved each year if
the national sudden cardiac arrest survival rate could be increased from
five percent to 20 percent or higher.  One course of action that might
increase survival rates is the chain of survival, a fourstep process of
providing treatment to victims of sudden cardiac arrest which includes
administering cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).  More lives could
potentially be saved if more people were skilled in CPR.  House Bill 821
requires each school district in Texas to provide CPR instruction to its
students to the extent that donations from the Texas Education Agency and
other donations are available.   

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that rulemaking
authority is expressly delegated to the commissioner of education in
SECTION 1 (Section 7.025, Education Code) and SECTION 2 (Section 29.903,
Education Code) of this bill. 

ANALYSIS

House Bill 821 amends the Education Code to require each school district to
provide to CPR instruction to students to the extent that donations from
the Texas Education Agency (TEA) and other donations, including equipment,
are available to the district for that purpose.  The bill authorizes TEA to
accept donations, including equipment, for use in providing CPR instruction
to students and requires TEA to distribute the donations to districts that
provide the instruction.  TEA is authorized to use a portion of the
donations to pay administrative expenses related to the donations.  H.B.
821 authorizes the commissioner of education to adopt rules as necessary to
implement the provisions of this bill. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

June 14, 2001.