BILL ANALYSIS Ó SENATE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS Senator Ricardo Lara, Chair 2015 - 2016 Regular Session AB 1639 (Maienschein) - Pupil health: The Eric Paredes Sudden Cardiac Arrest Prevention Act ----------------------------------------------------------------- | | | | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- |--------------------------------+--------------------------------| | | | |Version: June 14, 2016 |Policy Vote: ED. 9 - 0 | | | | |--------------------------------+--------------------------------| | | | |Urgency: No |Mandate: No | | | | |--------------------------------+--------------------------------| | | | |Hearing Date: August 1, 2016 |Consultant: Jillian Kissee | | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- This bill meets the criteria for referral to the Suspense File. Bill Summary: This bill, beginning July 1, 2017, establishes a return-to-play protocol for students who pass out or faint during an athletic activity; requires coaches to complete a sudden cardiac arrest training course; and requires the California Department of Education (CDE) to post specified information on its website related to sudden cardiac arrest. Fiscal Impact: The CDE estimates one-time costs of $85,000 General Fund to post required information on its website. Significant local costs for schools that elect to conduct athletic activities to comply with the bill's requirements. These activities are unlikely to be deemed a state reimbursable mandate since the bill's requirements are based upon a school's decision to conduct athletic activities. See AB 1639 (Maienschein) Page 1 of ? staff comments. Background: Existing law: Establishes similar requirements regarding concussion and head injuries as this bill does for sudden cardiac arrest symptoms. Specifically, it requires a school district, charter school, or private school that elects to offer an athletic program to comply with all of the following: o Immediately remove from the athletic activity for the remainder of the day an athlete who is suspected of sustaining a concussion or head injury. o Prohibits the athlete from returning to the athletic activity until he or she is evaluated and provided written clearance by a licensed health care provider. o Requires the athlete, if the health care provider determines a concussion or head injury was sustained, to complete a graduated return-to-play protocol of at least seven days in duration. o Requires a concussion and head injury information sheet to be signed and returned by the athlete and the parent annually before the athlete initiates practice or competition. (Education Code § 49475) States legislative intent that high school athletic coaches complete training regarding the identification of and appropriate response to concussions, among other things. (EC § 35179.1) Requires the principal of a school, when an automated external defibrillator (AED) is placed in a public or private K-12 school, to ensure that the school administrators and staff annually receive information that describes sudden cardiac arrest, the school's emergency response plan, and the proper use of an AED. (Health & Safety Code § 1797.196) Proposed Law: This bill establishes the Eric Paredes Sudden Cardiac Arrest Prevention Act beginning July 1, 2017. It requires the CDE to post on its website guidelines, videos, and an information sheet on sudden cardiac arrest symptoms and warning signs, and other relevant materials to inform and AB 1639 (Maienschein) Page 2 of ? educate students and parents, and to train coaches about the warning signs of sudden cardiac arrest. Schools and school districts are encouraged to post this information on their websites as well. This bill establishes the following requirements for schools that elect to conduct athletic activities: Before a student participates in an athletic activity governed by the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF), the school must collect and retain a copy of the sudden cardiac arrest information sheet required by the CIF for that student. Before a student participates in an athletic activity not governed by the CIF, the student and the parent or guardian are required to sign and return to the student's school an acknowledgement of receipt and review of the information posted online by the CDE. Requires a student who passes out, or is known to have passed out, while participating in or following an athletic activity, to be removed from participation at that time by the athletic director, coach, or athletic trainer. Authorizes a student who exhibits any of the other symptoms of sudden cardiac arrest during athletic activity to be removed from participation, as specified. If an athletic trainer is absent, any coach that observes these signs is required to notify the parent or guardian of the student so that they can determine any treatment necessary. A student who is removed from play is prohibited from being allowed to participate in an athletic activity until the student is evaluated and cleared in writing by any of the specified healthcare providers to return to participate. A coach is required, before being able to coach an athletic activity, to complete the sudden cardiac arrest training course posted online by the CDE and is required to retake the course every two years. Related Legislation: AB 1719 (Rodriguez, 2016) requires school districts and charter schools serving students in grades 9 AB 1639 (Maienschein) Page 3 of ? through 12 to offer instruction in compression-only cardiopulmonary resuscitation as part of a required course, commencing in the 2018-19 school year. AB 1719 is pending in this committee. Staff Comments: This bill codifies recent CIF bylaws regarding the sudden cardiac arrest return-to-play protocol, the information sheet requirement, and the coaches' training requirements contained in this bill. Since the CIF governs competitive athletics in grades 9 through 12, high schools may already be in compliance with these requirements. This bill essentially extends the CIF bylaw to athletic activities at schools that are not governed by CIF, including athletic activities in the younger grades. The requirement to sign and return an acknowledgement of receipt and review of the information posted online by CDE is not currently required by CIF and therefore a requirement that schools would have to implement if they conduct athletic activities not governed by the CIF. This bill may also necessitate additional training to ensure all appropriate staff are aware of the requirements in this bill. -- END --