Lawmakers send bill requiring school cardiac emergency response plans to Pritzker

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — A plan heading to Gov. JB Pritzker's desk could require school districts to develop cardiac emergency response plans.

Sponsors and advocates told WAND News that Illinois saw 109 cardiac events involving students under 18 during 2022 alone.

The legislation requires school districts to work with local paramedics to create an evidence-based plan to use AEDs in case of a cardiac event.

Sen. Erica Harriss (R-Glen Carbon) spoke about her proposal to require school cardiac emergency response plans during floor debate on May 16, 2024.

Rep. Laura Faver Dias said these response plans must be available on every school website and in paper form throughout schools.

"The creation of these plans will use evidence-based best practices for the placement of AEDs, which will save lives and provide significantly better outcomes for students and staff who experience cardiac events while on school grounds," Faver Dias said.

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

House Bill 5394 passed unanimously out of the House and Senate.

"The availability and use of AEDs have 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."