BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 319
Page 1
Date of Hearing: May 6, 2015
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Jimmy Gomez, Chair
AB
319 (Rodriguez) - As Amended April 30, 2015
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Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: YesReimbursable:
Yes
SUMMARY:
This bill requires, starting in the 2017-18 school year, school
districts and charter schools offering instruction to pupils in
grades 9 to 12, inclusive, to provide instruction in performing
AB 319
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cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and the use of an automated
external defibrillator (AED) as part of a physical education
(PE) course or another course required for graduation.
Specifically, this bill:
1)Requires instruction in CPR and AED use to include all of the
following:
a) An instructional program developed by the American Heart
Association or the American Red Cross, or an instructional
program that is nationally recognized and based on the most
current national evidence-based emergency cardiovascular
care guidelines for the performance of CPR and the use of
an AED.
b) Training for pupils relative to the psychomotor skills
necessary to perform CPR. For purposes of this paragraph,
"psychomotor skills" means skills that pupils are required
to perform as hands-on practice to support cognitive
learning.
c) General information on the use and importance of an AED.
The physical presence of an AED in the classroom is not
required.
2)Allows instruction to be provided by a person who is certified
in CPR who is any of the following: a licensed health care
provider; an emergency medical technician; a peace officer; a
firefighter; an instructor certified to teach CPR by the
American Red Cross, American Heart Association or nationally
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recognized instructional program, as specified; or a teacher.
Specifies a teacher shall not be required to be certified in
CPR to facilitate, provide, or oversee instruction for
training, provided that the training does not provide CPR
certification.
3)Authorizes a person who provides this instruction to apply the
hours spent performing instruction toward fulfilling
professional community service requirements, as specified.
FISCAL EFFECT:
Proposition 98/GF state mandated costs in the low millions,
starting in 2017-18, for school districts to provide training
equipment and materials, student safety equipment and teacher
training for CPR/AED. Actual costs will depend on whether
school districts currently provide CPR instruction and
instruction on the use of AEDs, if the district has access to
free equipment and instruction through community organizations,
and the number of students who will receive the instruction.
Most students in California take PE in ninth grade. In 2013-14,
there were 491,493 students enrolled in ninth grade. These
students attended more than 1,305 high schools throughout the
state. Assuming 30 students per PE class, CPR and AED
instruction would need to be provided to at least 16,383 classes
of ninth graders per year.
COMMENTS:
Purpose. Current high school graduation requirements include two
years of physical education, though school districts are
permitted to establish graduation requirements that exceed those
of the state. Existing law does not require a health course for
graduation. School districts are currently authorized, but not
required, to offer a comprehensive course of study on first aid
and CPR, based on standards that are at least equivalent to the
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standards currently used by the American Red Cross or the
American Heart Association. Further, schools are required to
provide instruction at the appropriate grade levels on personal
and public safety and accident prevention, including emergency
first aid instruction, instruction in hemorrhage control,
treatment for poisoning, resuscitation techniques, and CPR when
appropriate equipment is available.
This bill seeks to expand upon this current policy and require
every high school student in California receive instruction in
performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and the use of
an automated external defibrillator (AED), as part of a physical
education course or another course required for graduation.
Analysis Prepared by:Misty Feusahrens / APPR. / (916)
319-2081