Cardiovascular prescreenings for students requirement

A bill for an act

relating to health; requiring cardiovascular prescreenings for students; proposing

coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 145.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

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[145.678] CARDIOVASCULAR PRESCREENING FOR STUDENT

ATHLETES.

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Subdivision 1.

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Physical examination.

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(a) Beginning in the 2028-2029 school year, a

qualified licensed health care professional who performs a physical examination for a student

athlete must include a cardiovascular prescreening that follows nationally recognized,

evidence-based guidelines recommended by organizations focused on cardiovascular care

in pediatric populations. The prescreening must include but not be limited to the following

information on cardiovascular disease:

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(1) prior elevated systemic blood pressure, unexplained exertional chest pain or syncope,

palpitations, or decreased exercise tolerance;

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(2) known cardiac conditions such as arrhythmia syndromes, atrial fibrillation, implanted

medical devices, cardiac medication, premature sudden cardiac death, and unexplained

drowning or seizures; and

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(3) detection of a pathologic heart murmur, irregular rhythm, abnormal pulses, or other

findings suggestive of structural or electrical heart disease.

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Athletes with positive findings should be referred to a cardiologist for further evaluation

and testing. Prescreening must take place no earlier than three months before the start of

the athletic season for which the student shall participate in.

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(b) The Department of Health must compile and publish on the department's website an

annual report containing the total number of exams completed and the number of referrals

made to a cardiologist. The report must analyze the outcomes of this section and be made

publicly available.

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(c) The department must monitor and record the total number of screenings, proportion

of positive screens and follow-up and, where possible, data regarding the follow-up, including

false positive rates, and additional diagnostic studies.

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Subd. 2.

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Cardiovascular prescreening for all students.

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(a) Beginning in the 2028-2029

school year, the opportunity for prescreening must be extended to all students and incorporate

the cardiovascular prescreening into annual well-child visits to ensure all students receive

the prescreening.

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(b) Prescreening must be performed by a qualified licensed health care professional and

must follow nationally recognized and evidence-based guidelines recommended by

organizations focused on cardiovascular care in pediatric populations.

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(c) Key prescreening elements must include a targeted personal and family history and

focused physical examination to detect or raise suspicion for cardiovascular disease.

Prescreening information must include but not be limited to:

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(1) prior elevated systemic blood pressure, unexplained exertional chest pain or syncope,

palpitations, or decreased exercise tolerance;

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(2) known cardiac conditions such as cardiomyopathy, arrhythmia syndromes, atrial

fibrillation, implanted medical devices, cardiac medication, premature sudden cardiac death,

and unexplained drowning or seizures; and

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(3) detection of a pathologic heart murmur, irregular rhythm, abnormal pulses, or other

findings suggestive of structural or electrical heart disease.

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Subd. 3.

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Education materials for children and families.

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(a) The Department of Health

and the Department of Education must distribute educational materials to children and

parents and guardians of students that provide information that follows evidence-based

science about medical conditions that can cause sudden cardiac arrest and heart failure.

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(b) Beginning in the 2028-2029 school year, each school district must annually distribute

the educational materials to parents or guardians of students participating in school sports

as part of the students' preparticipation physical examination and completion of athletic

permission forms.

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Subd. 4.

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Professional education for health care professionals.

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The Department of

Health must encourage policies, programs, training, and continuing education that increase

health care provider knowledge of prescreening guidelines, including but not limited to:

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(1) how to complete the cardiovascular risk assessment, including collecting family

history and personal reports of symptoms;

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(2) how to identify early signs of cardiac arrest and heart failure through physical

examination; and

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(3) referral procedures for positive findings.

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Subd. 5.

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Rulemaking.

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The Department of Health in consultation with the Department

of Education must adopt rules pursuant to chapter 14 to implement the purposes of this

section using nationally recognized and evidence-based guidelines recommended by

organizations focused on cardiovascular care in pediatric populations.

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