HBA-MSH, MPM H.B. 821 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 821 By: Giddings Public Education 3/12/2001 Introduced 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 5 percent to 20 percent or higher. One course of action that might increase survival rates is the chain of survival, a four-step 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 a school district to offer a CPR course to its students and requires a coach or extracurricular activity sponsor to submit proof of training in CPR. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS House Bill 821 amends the Education Code to require each school district offering kindergarten through grade 12 to offer instruction in the principles and techniques of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) as part of the enrichment curriculum. The bill requires the district to offer CPR instruction to students at least once at the seventh grade level or above. The bill removes the requirement that a school district employee serving as head coach or chief sponsor for an extracurricular athletic activity be certified in first aid and CPR, and instead provides that the employee be trained in first aid and CPR and submit proof of training to the district. EFFECTIVE DATE On passage, or if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act takes effect September 1, 2001. Provisions regarding CPR instruction to students apply beginning with the 2001-2002 school year. Provisions regarding the training of an employee in first aid and CPR apply January 1, 2002.