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H572 • 2025

An Act relative to cardiopulmonary resuscitation and automatic external defibrillator education in public schools

An Act relative to cardiopulmonary resuscitation and automatic external defibrillator education in public schools

Education
Active

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

Sponsor
Carole A. Fiola
Last action
2025-12-18
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 relative to cardiopulmonary resuscitation and automatic external defibrillator education in public schools

An Act relative to cardiopulmonary resuscitation and automatic external defibrillator education in public schools By Representative Fiola of Fall River, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.

What This Bill Does

  • An Act relative to cardiopulmonary resuscitation and automatic external defibrillator education in public schools By Representative Fiola of Fall River, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.
  • 572) of Carole A.
  • Fiola and Patrick Joseph Kearney relative to cardiopulmonary resuscitation and automatic external defibrillator education in public schools.
  • Education.

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

  1. 2025-12-18 House

    Reporting date extended to Wednesday, March 18, 2026

  2. 2025-10-20 House

    Reporting date extended to Wednesday, December 17, 2025

  3. 2025-07-10 Joint

    Hearing scheduled for 07/21/2025 from 11:00 AM-05:00 PM in Gardner Auditorium

  4. 2025-02-27 House

    Referred to the committee on Education

  5. 2025-02-27 Senate

    Senate concurred

Official Summary Text

An Act relative to cardiopulmonary resuscitation and automatic external defibrillator education in public schools
By Representative Fiola of Fall River, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 572) of Carole A. Fiola and Patrick Joseph Kearney relative to cardiopulmonary resuscitation and automatic external defibrillator education in public schools. Education.
Status:
Referred to Joint Committee on Education

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
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Bill H.572

SECTION 1. Chapter 69 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting a new section:

Section 1U. Subject to appropriation and in accordance with Chapter 70, the department shall establish a health education grant program. The department shall make rules

(a) creating a grant program to assist a school district with the implementation of this section; and;

(b) establishing the criteria for the grant program, including:

(i) an application format;

(ii) relevant timelines and deadlines

(iii) a scoring rubric, including criteria to determine a grant award amount;

(iv) allowable uses of a grant award; and

(v) any relevant data to evaluate the program that the department determines is necessary

The health education grant program shall include instruction for cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the use of automatic external defibrillators. Instruction in hands only cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the use of automatic external defibrillators must be the most current national evidence-based Emergency Cardiovascular Care guidelines and incorporate psychomotor skills development into the instruction. “Psychomotor skills” is defined as the use of hands-on practicing and skills testing to support cognitive learning. A licensed teacher shall not be required to be a certified trainer of cardiopulmonary resuscitation, to facilitate, provide or oversee such instruction for non-certification. Courses which result in a certification being earned are required to be taught by an authorized CPR/AED instructor.

SECTION 2. The first paragraph of section 1 of chapter 71 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2024 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out the sixth sentence and inserting in place thereof the following sentences:-

All public high school students shall be required to study and to demonstrate a general knowledge of cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the use of automatic external defibrillators as a prerequisite for graduation. The instruction must be based on an instructional program established by the American Heart Association or the American Red Cross or another program which is nationally recognized and uses the most current national evidence-based Emergency Cardiovascular Care guidelines and incorporates psychomotor skills development into the instruction. Psychomotor skills” is defined as the use of hands-on practicing and skills testing to support cognitive learning. A licensed teacher shall not be required to be a certified trainer of cardiopulmonary resuscitation, to facilitate, provide or oversee such instruction for non-certification. Courses which result in a certification being earned are required to be taught by an authorized CPR/AED instructor.

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