NEW LAWS REQUIRE SCHOOLS TO ESTABLISH CARDIAC EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLANS AND TRAIN COACHES ON CPR

The Michigan Legislature passed a pair of bills adding new requirements to coaches and school districts for the 2025-2026 school year.  The first bill adds Section 1319 to the Revised School Code and requires schools to require athletic coaches to maintain a valid certification in CPR and the use of an AED issued by the American Red Cross, American Heart Association, or comparable organization.

School districts will also be required to develop cardiac emergency response plans that “respond to a sudden cardiac arrest, or another similar life-threatening emergency, on the school’s campus during school hours or during a school-sponsored event.”

The cardiac emergency response plans must provide for:

• Establishment of a cardiac emergency response team
• Activation of the cardiac emergency response team
• Placement of AEDs in accessible locations
• Routine maintenance of AEDs
• Dissemination of the cardiac emergency response plan throughout the school’s campus
• Ongoing training of school personnel
• The use of annual exercise simulations to practice the steps established in the plan
• The integration of the plan with the local emergency response system and emergency response agencies, and;
• The ongoing and triennial review of the plan

The new law also requires participants on the cardiac emergency response team be trained in CPR, first aid, and the use of an AED.  Finally, the new law provides immunity to those giving aid under these laws unless they are grossly negligent or willful or wanton misconduct.