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


Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.H.B. 821
By: Giddings
Public Education
3/26/2001
Committee Report (Substituted)



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.  C.S.H.B. 821
requires a school district to offer a CPR course to students at or above
the ninth grade level. 

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

C.S.H.B. 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 ninth grade level or above.
The bill requires the Texas Education Agency, through regional education
service centers, to provide assistance in implementing CPR instruction to
school districts and any entity collaborating with school districts in
providing the instruction. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act
takes effect September 1, 2001. Provisions requiring CPR instruction for
students apply beginning with the 2001-2002 school year.  

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE

C.S.H.B. 821 differs from the original by requiring the Texas Education
Agency to provide assistance in implementing the cardiopulmonary
resuscitation (CPR) instruction to school districts and other entities
through regional education service centers.  The substitute provides that
CPR training be offered to students at the ninth grade level or above,
while the original specified that the training be offered to students at
the seventh grade level or above. 

The original deleted 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 provided that the
employee be trained in first aid and CPR and submit proof of training to
the district.  The substitute restores this provision of the law.