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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Seventh Legislature, Second Regular Session
AMENDED
cardiac emergency response plans; school
Purpose
Requires each school district and charter school to submit a report to the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) that contains outlined information relating to cardiac emergency preparedness by November 1, 2026, and requires ADE to submit and post a summary and the compiled reports as outlined by December 1, 2026. Appropriates $1,000,000 from the state General Fund (state GF) in FY 2027 to ADE for the outlined reports and for public schools to purchase and maintain automated external defibrillators (AEDs).
Background
Each public school that provides instruction to students in any of grades
9 through 12 and that sponsors an athletic team or sports program must provide
an automated external defibrillator (AED) at each school campus and
school-sponsored athletic event and ensure that each AED
is: 1) in an unlocked location that is clearly marked and easily accessible
both during the school day and at each school-sponsored athletic event; 2) in a
location from which the AED may be promptly retrieved and used at the school or
school-sponsored athletic event; 3) in a location that complies with guidelines
that are established by a nationally recognized organization that is focused on
emergency cardiovascular care; and 4) maintained in good working order and
tested according to the manufacturer's guidelines (A.R.S. § 15-120.07).
AED means a medical device heart monitor and defibrillator that: 1) is approved for premarket modification by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration; 2) is capable of recognizing the presence or absence of ventricular fibrillation or rapid ventricular tachycardia and is capable of determining, without intervention by an operator, if defibrillation should be performed; and 3) automatically charges and delivers an electrical impulse to a person's heart when it determines that defibrillation should be performed (A.R.S. § 36-2261).
S.B. 1131 appropriates $1,000,000 from the state GF in FY 2027 to ADE.
Provisions
1. Requires each school district and charter school, by November 1, 2026, to submit a report to ADE that includes:
a) the number of AEDs that the school district or charter school has at each school campus;
b) the number of school employees at each school campus, including indirect employment through a third-party contractor, who are trained in providing cardiopulmonary resuscitation, first aid and in the use of AEDs; and
c) a statement indicating whether the school district or charter school has adopted a plan that:
i.
outlines the policies and procedures for school personnel who might
respond to the incident in which an individual experiences sudden cardiac
arrest or a similar
life-threatening emergency; and
ii. is consistent with guidelines prescribed by a nationally recognized organization that is focused on emergency cardiovascular care.
2. Requires ADE, by December 1, 2026, to:
a) compile the reports received from school districts and charter schools;
b) submit a summary and the compiled reports to the Senate President, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Director of the Joint Legislative Budget Committee and the Director of the Department of Health and Human Services;
c) submit a copy of the summary and the compiled reports to the Secretary of State; and
d) post the summary and the compiled reports on ADE's website.
3. Repeals the outlined reporting requirements on school districts, charter schools and ADE on January 1, 2028.
4. Appropriates $1,000,000 from the state GF in FY 2027 to ADE.
5. Determines that ADE may not use more than an undetermined amount of the appropriated monies for the purpose of implementing the outlined reporting requirements.
6. Requires ADE to distribute the remaining appropriated monies to public schools that offer instruction to students in any combination of kindergarten programs and grades 1 through 12.
7. Directs ADE to prioritize distributions of the appropriated monies to rural public schools.
8. Allows a public school to use the distributed monies to purchase or maintain AEDs.
9. Exempts the appropriation from lapsing.
10. Defines AED.
11. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Amendments Adopted by Committee
1. Removes the requirements on public schools to adopt a cardiac emergency response plan as prescribed.
2. Requires each school district and charter school to submit a report to ADE that includes outlined information relating to cardiac emergency preparedness by November 1, 2026.
3. Requires ADE, by December 1, 2026, to compile the reports received and to submit a summary and the compiled reports to outlined individuals and post the summary and reports on ADE's website.
4. Repeals the outlined reporting requirements on January 1, 2028.
5. Removes the requirement that the appropriation be used to implement the cardiac emergency response plan requirements.
6. Determines that ADE may not use more than an undetermined amount of the appropriated monies for the purpose of implementing the outlined reporting requirements.
7. Requires ADE to distribute the remaining appropriated monies to public schools as outlined and prioritize rural schools, rather than prioritize schools in which at least 50 percent of students are eligible for the Free and Reduced-Price Lunch Program.
8. Narrows the purposes for which schools may use the distributed monies to only for purchasing and maintaining AEDs.
9. Makes technical changes.
Senate Action
ED 2/18/26 W/D
ATT 2/24/26 DPA 9-1-0
Prepared by Senate Research
February 24, 2026
MH/KP/hk