IL Senate unanimously passes bill requiring school cardiac emergency response plans

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — The Illinois Senate passed a proposal Thursday to require school districts to develop cardiac emergency response plans.

This comes as the state saw 109 cardiac events involving students under 18 during 2022 alone.

The legislation could require school districts to work with local paramedics to create an evidence-based plan to use AEDs in case of a cardiac event. Sponsors believe the response plan should be available on every school website and in paper from throughout school property.

"The availability and use of AEDs have also shown to significantly improve chances of survival and recovery," said Sen. Erica Harriss (R-Glen Carbon). "Not only can they save lives, but my hope is that this can and will also provide peace of mind to parents when they drop their kids off at school."

Schools would be required to identify where AEDs are located on the property and include guidance for how to use the equipment properly. Coaches, assistant coaches and other school staff could also be trained on using AEDs.

House Bill 5394 passed unanimously out of the Senate and now moves back to the House on concurrence due to a technical amendment. The measure previously gained unanimous support in the House.

"With the passage of House Bill 5394, more than 20% of our state population that walks through the doors of thousands of schools each day - including students, teachers, administrators and support staff - will be equipped to act in a cardiac emergency," said Lauren Peters from the American Heart Association.