CHAPTER 112
H.P. 136 - L.D. 177
Resolve, To Ensure That Emergency Medical Help Is Available to All School Children
Preamble. Whereas, the Legislature recognizes that the health and safety of students in our schools is a preeminent concern of school officials and educational personnel across the State; and
Whereas, having a medical emergency response plan in place to effectively respond to inevitable medical emergencies resulting from sudden cardiac events is both prudent and necessary for our schools; and
Whereas, the Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Automated External Defibrillators for Maine Schools Workgroup convened by the Department of Education has acknowledged the important progress that many of Maine's school administrative units have made in establishing emergency response teams comprised of school personnel who hold valid certifications in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and whose roles include providing an immediate response to a medical emergency in order to stabilize the medical emergency until emergency medical services arrives at the scene of the emergency; and
Whereas, a survey of state school nurse consultants regarding their states' requirements for CPR-certified personnel in schools found that a number of states specify that certain school personnel, including school health staff, athletic coaches and bus drivers, be certified in CPR and further discovered that several states specify a formula for the number of school personnel to be certified on a per student or per building basis in order to increase the number of people able to respond to a medical emergency resulting from a sudden cardiac event; and
Whereas, the public has a justifiable and legitimate interest in ensuring that every student has adequate access during the school day to school personnel who are certified in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and who can serve as first responders in medical emergencies resulting from sudden cardiac events; now, therefore, be it
Sec. 1. Survey. Resolved: That the Department of Education, working together with the school nurse consultant under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 22, section 1971, the School Health Advisory Committee and other appropriate organizations, shall review the recommendations of the Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Automated External Defibrillators for Maine Schools Workgroup and shall design a survey of school administrative units and private schools enrolling more than 60% of their students at public expense in the State regarding the extent to which these school administrative units and private schools have medical emergency response plans in place and have developed emergency response teams comprised of school personnel who hold valid certifications in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and whose roles include providing an immediate response to a medical emergency, including a medical emergency resulting from a sudden cardiac event.
In reviewing the recommendations of the Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Automated External Defibrillators for Maine Schools Workgroup prior to designing the survey of school administrative units and private schools in accordance with this section, the department shall also review the most recent guidance provided by the American Heart Association and the National Association of School Nurses regarding emergency preparedness planning in kindergarten through grade 12 public schools.
The survey developed by the department must assess the following:
1. As of the end of the 2003-2004 school year, the number of school administrative units and private schools enrolling more than 60% of their students at public expense in the State that have written local policies and procedures for ensuring that every student has adequate access during the school day to school personnel that are certified in cardiopulmonary resuscitation;
2. As of the end of the 2003-2004 school year, the number of school administrative units and private schools enrolling more than 60% of their students at public expense in the State whose adopted local policies include the following:
A. Guidelines regarding the appropriate number of school personnel at each campus of the school administrative unit or the private school that are certified in cardiopulmonary resuscitation;
B. Requirements that school personnel that are certified in cardiopulmonary resuscitation receive training from a cardiopulmonary resuscitation training program approved by the Department of Public Safety, Bureau of Emergency Medical Services and taught according to current emergency cardiac care standards;
C. Requirements that school personnel that are certified in cardiopulmonary resuscitation be available at school-sponsored athletic events and other extracurricular events, including field trips requiring transportation on a school bus, held after normal school hours;
D. Requirements that an emergency response team be established for each school campus in the school administrative unit or for the private school, including a description of the role of each emergency response team in providing an immediate response to medical emergencies be described; and
E. Requirements that the school administrative unit or the private school acquire an automated external defibrillator and that any related standards for the implementation of such requirements be related to compliance with state laws, training policies and procedures for the use of this equipment;
3. The need of CPR training for school personnel and, if a need for training was identified, the plan developed to address the necessary training; and
4. The cost to develop the local policies and to implement the policies on an annual basis; and be it further
Sec. 2. Report. Resolved: That the Department of Education shall submit a report, including findings and recommended legislation, to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over education matters during the First Regular Session of the 122nd Legislature by November 3, 2004. The joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over education matters has the authority to introduce a bill based on the recommendations of the Department of Education report during the First Regular Session of the 122nd Legislature.
Effective July 30, 2004, unless otherwise indicated.
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