H556 • 2025

An Act providing CPR and AED Education for All, AKA The CPR and AED Education for All Act

Education

Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor: Carol A. Doherty
Last action: 2025-10-20
Official status: Referred to Joint Committee on Education
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

An Act providing CPR and AED Education for All, AKA The CPR and AED Education for All Act

An Act providing CPR and AED Education for All, AKA The CPR and AED Education for All Act By Representative Doherty of Taunton, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.

What This Bill Does

An Act providing CPR and AED Education for All, AKA The CPR and AED Education for All Act By Representative Doherty of Taunton, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.
556) of Carol A.
Doherty and James K.
Hawkins relative to requiring instruction in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the use of defibrillators for high school graduation.

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

2025-10-20 House
Reporting date extended to Wednesday, December 17, 2025
2025-07-10 Joint
Hearing scheduled for 07/21/2025 from 11:00 AM-05:00 PM in Gardner Auditorium
2025-02-27 House
Referred to the committee on Education
2025-02-27 Senate
Senate concurred

Official Summary Text

An Act providing CPR and AED Education for All, AKA The CPR and AED Education for All Act
By Representative Doherty of Taunton, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 556) of Carol A. Doherty and James K. Hawkins relative to requiring instruction in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the use of defibrillators for high school graduation. Education.
Status:
Referred to Joint Committee on Education

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

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Bill H.556

SECTION 1. Chapter 71 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 2C, the following section:-

"Section 2D. Each school district in the commonwealth shall provide instruction in hands-only cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the use of an automated external defibrillator as part of the existing physical education or health education curriculum in grades 9 through 12. The school district may select a no-cost, non-certification instructional program to meet this requirement. The instructional program provided shall be modeled from an instructional program established by a nationally recognized association with expertise in instruction in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the use of an automated external defibrillator and include a hands-on learning component for each participating student. Each public high school student shall be required to participate in the instructional program as a requirement for high school graduation; provided, however, that no student shall be required to take part in the instructional program if (i) a licensed physician certifies in writing that such participation would be injurious to the student; or (ii) a parent or guardian for the student submits a written objection to the student’s participation in the instructional program."

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect on September 1, 2025.

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