Cardiac Emergency Response Plans and Automated External Defibrillators; expand access and provide funding.

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To: Education;
Appropriations
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Senator(s) Hickman

SENATE BILL NO. 2491

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 37-11-85, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, 1
TO DEFINE "HIGH-NEEDS SCHOOL" FOR PURPOSES OF PRIORITIZING FUNDING 2
FOR IMPLEMENTING CARDIAC EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLANS (CERPS); TO 3
AMEND SECTION 37-11-87, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE THAT 4
CERPS SHALL ENCOMPASS ATHLETIC VENUE GROUNDS, THAT MEMBERS OF A 5
CARDIAC EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM SHALL HAVE CURRENT TRAINING ON CPR 6
AND AUTOMATED EXTERNAL DEFIBRILLATORS (AEDs) FROM A NATIONALLY 7
RECOGNIZED ORGANIZATION, AND THAT AN AED SHALL BE PLACED WITHIN 8
THREE MINUTES OF EACH SCHOOL ATHLETIC VENUE; TO CREATE NEW SECTION 9
37-11-89, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO DIRECT THE STATE DEPARTMENT 10
OF EDUCATION TO DESIGNATE $2,499,000.00 TO AID IN IMPLEMENTING 11
CERPS; TO SPECIFY THAT FUNDING SHALL BE USED FOR ACTIVITIES AND 12
EQUIPMENT PROMOTING CERP PREPAREDNESS IN SCHOOLS, AND THAT 13
HIGH-NEEDS SCHOOLS SHALL BE GIVEN FUNDING PRIORITY; TO AUTHORIZE 14
THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO ESTABLISH A PROCEDURE FOR 15
MONITORING SCHOOL COMPLIANCE WITH FUNDING REQUIREMENTS; TO 16
AUTHORIZE SCHOOLS TO ACCEPT GIFTS, GRANTS AND DONATIONS FOR THE 17
PURCHASE OF AEDs THAT MEET THE STANDARDS ESTABLISHED BY THE UNITED 18
STATES FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, AND FOR THE COSTS INCURRED IN 19
INSPECTING AND MAINTAINING, AND TRAINING STAFF IN THE USE OF, SUCH 20
DEVICES; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 21
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 22
SECTION 1. Section 37-11-85, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 23
amended as follows: 24
37-11-85. As used in Sections 37-11-87 and 37-11-89, the 25
following terms shall have the meanings ascribed herein: 26
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(a) "Cardiac Emergency Response Plan (CERP)" shall mean 27
a written document that establishes the specific steps to reduce 28
death from cardiac arrest in any setting – be it a school, 29
community organization, workplace, or sports facility. 30
(b) "Automated External Defibrillator (AED)" shall mean 31
a lightweight, portable device that delivers an electric shock 32
through the chest to the heart. The shock can potentially stop an 33
irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia) and allow a normal rhythm to 34
resume following sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). 35
(c) "Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA)" means when the heart 36
malfunctions and stops beating unexpectedly, and if not treated 37
within minutes, it quickly leads to death. 38
(d) "High-needs school" means a school where at least 39
fifty percent (50%) of children are eligible to receive free and 40
reduced-priced meals or a school participating in the Community 41
Eligibility Provision or Universal Free Meals. High-needs schools 42
may also be defined by Title 1 status. 43
SECTION 2. Section 37-11-87, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 44
amended as follows: 45
37-11-87. (1) Beginning in the 2024-2025 school year, each 46
public school shall develop a cardiac emergency response plan 47
(CERP) that addresses the appropriate use of school personnel to 48
respond to incidents involving an individual experiencing sudden 49
cardiac arrest or a similar life-threatening emergency while on 50
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school grounds and, beginning in the 2026-2027 school year, school 51
athletic venue grounds. 52
(2) Beginning in the 2024-2025 school year, each public 53
school with an athletic department or organized athletic program 54
shall develop a cardiac emergency response plan that addresses the 55
appropriate use of school personnel to respond to incidents 56
involving an individual experiencing sudden cardiac arrest or a 57
similar life-threatening emergency while attending or 58
participating in an athletic practice or event while on school 59
grounds. 60
(3) School officials shall work directly with local 61
emergency service providers to integrate the CERP into the 62
community's EMS responder protocols. Each plan shall integrate 63
evidence-based core elements, such as those recommended by the 64
American Heart Association guidelines or another nationally 65
recognized, evidence-based standard. 66
(4) The CERP shall integrate, at a minimum, the following 67
guidelines: 68
(a) Establishing a cardiac emergency response team 69
whose members have current CPR and AED training from a nationally 70
recognized organization; 71
(b) Activating the team in response to a SCA; 72
(c) A plan for implementing AED placement and routine 73
maintenance within the school; 74
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(d) Disseminating the plan throughout the school 75
campus; 76
(e) Maintaining ongoing staff training in CPR/AED use; 77
(f) Practicing using drills annually; 78
(g) Integrating local EMS with the plan; and 79
(h) Ongoing and annual review and evaluation of the 80
plan. 81
(5) Appropriate AED placement shall be dictated by the CERP 82
and in accordance with guidelines set by the American Heart 83
Association or another nationally recognized, evidence-based 84
standard. An AED must be identified with appropriate signage and 85
be available in an unlocked location on school property within 86
three (3) minutes of each school athletic venue. The AED shall be 87
accessible during the school day and at any other time in which 88
students are participating in a school-sponsored athletic event or 89
team practice. A school or local and regional board of education 90
may accept gifts, grants and donations, including in-kind 91
donations designated for the purchase of an AED that meets the 92
standards established by the United States Food and Drug 93
Administration and for the costs incurred to inspect and maintain 94
such device and train staff in the use of such device. 95
(6) Appropriate school staff shall be trained in first-aid, 96
CPR, and AED use that follow evidence-based guidelines set forth 97
by the American Heart Association or another nationally 98
recognized, evidence-based standard. Staff trained shall be 99
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determined by the CERP, including, but not limited to, licensed 100
coaches, school nurses and athletic trainers. 101
SECTION 3. The following shall be codified as Section 102
37-11-89, Mississippi Code of 1972: 103
37-11-89. (1) The State Department of Education shall 104
designate Two Million Four Hundred Ninety-nine Thousand Dollars 105
($2,499,000.00) to aid in implementing CERPs. Funding shall be 106
used for activities and equipment promoting CERP preparedness in 107
schools, including, but not limited to, the purchase and 108
maintenance of AEDs and the purchase of training and educational 109
materials on CPR and basic first aid. High-needs schools shall be 110
given funding priority. 111
(2) The State Department of Education may establish a 112
procedure for monitoring compliance by school boards, operators of 113
independent charter schools, and governing bodies of private 114
schools to the requirements set forth in subsection (1) of this 115
section. 116
(3) School boards, operators of independent charter schools, 117
and governing bodies of private schools may accept gifts, grants 118
and donations, including in-kind donations, designated for the 119
purchase of AEDs that meet the standards established by the United 120
States Food and Drug Administration, and for the costs incurred in 121
inspecting and maintaining, and training staff in the use of, such 122
devices. 123
S. B. No. 2491 *SS36/R1237* ~ OFFICIAL ~
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ST: Cardiac Emergency Response Plans and
Automated External Defibrillators; expand access
and provide funding.
SECTION 4. This act shall take effect and be in force from 124
and after July 1, * * * 2026. 125