HBA-MSH, MPM H.B. 821 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 821
By: Giddings
Public Education
3/12/2001
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

The American Heart Association estimates that each day more than 95 percent
of Americans who suffer sudden cardiac arrest die before reaching the
hospital.  Additionally, at least 50,000 lives could be saved each year if
the national sudden cardiac arrest survival rate could be increased from 5
percent to 20 percent or higher.  One course of action that might increase
survival rates is the chain of survival, a four-step process of providing
treatment to victims of sudden cardiac arrest which includes administering
cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).  More lives could potentially be saved
if more people were skilled in CPR.  House Bill 821 requires a school
district to offer a CPR course to its students and requires a coach or
extracurricular activity sponsor to submit proof of training in CPR. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

ANALYSIS

House Bill 821 amends the Education Code to require each school district
offering kindergarten through grade 12 to offer instruction in the
principles and techniques of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) as part of
the enrichment curriculum.  The bill requires the district to offer CPR
instruction to students at least once at the seventh grade level or above. 

The bill removes the requirement that a school district employee serving as
head coach or chief sponsor for an extracurricular athletic activity be
certified in first aid and CPR, and instead provides that the employee be
trained in first aid and CPR and submit proof of training to the district. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act
takes effect September 1, 2001. Provisions regarding CPR instruction to
students apply beginning with the 2001-2002 school year. Provisions
regarding the training of an employee in first aid and CPR apply January 1,
2002.