AN ACT to require THE PLACEMENT OF AUTOMATIC EXTERNAL DEFIBRILLATORS (AEDs) in all schools in public school units AND to provide TRAINING for SCHOOL PERSONNEL on the use of aeds.

Whereas, according to the American Heart Association as of 2017, an individual goes into cardiac arrest in the United States every two minutes. In North Carolina, twenty‑three percent (23%) of all deaths are attributed to heart disease, 11,765 of which are as a result of cardiac arrest. Ventricular Fibrillation (VF) is a common rhythm for which cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and defibrillation are the only effective treatments. For victims with VF, survival rates are highest when immediate bystander CPR is provided and defibrillation occurs within three to five minutes of collapse. With every minute that passes, a victim's survival rate is reduced by seven percent (7%) to ten percent (10%) if no intervention measures are taken. An estimated ninety‑five percent (95%) of cardiac arrest victims die before reaching the hospital. If intervention measures are taken, survival rates are much higher; when CPR and defibrillation are immediately performed, survival rates can double; and

Whereas, wider use of defibrillators could save as many as 40,000 lives nationally each year. Successful public access defibrillation programs ensure that cardiac arrest victims will have an immediate recognition of cardiac arrest and activation of 911 followed by early CPR with an emphasis on compressions, rapid Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) use, effective advanced care, and coordinated care afterward; and

Whereas, the critical importance of having an AED in the building and the quick action of those who are trained to use it was demonstrated in our NC General Assembly building on April 2, 2009. The life of our member, Rep. Becky Carney, was saved because there was access to an AED and there were personnel trained to administer it, following the protocol as described above. Therefore, this act shall be named for her, as The Rep. Becky Carney Cardiac Arrest Act; Now, therefore,

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  G.S. 115C‑12 is amended by adding a new subdivision to read:

(49)    Duty to Adopt Rules for Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs). – The State Board of Education shall adopt rules for the installation, use, and maintenance of AEDs in public school units. At a minimum, the rules shall include provisions for the following:

a.         Installation and placement of at least two AEDs in each school in a public school unit, with one AED being placed in a location identified by the State Board and one being placed in the school athletic facility or area.

b.         Implementation of an appropriate training course for public school personnel in the use of AEDs, including the role of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and first aid.

c.         Proper maintenance and testing of the AEDs.

d.         Coordination with appropriate licensed professionals in the oversight of training on the AEDs.

e.         Coordination with local emergency medical systems regarding the placement of AEDs in school buildings.

SECTION 2.(a)  G.S. 115C‑47 is amended by adding a new subdivision to read:

(68)    Use of Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs). – Local boards of education shall develop policies for the installation, maintenance, and use of AEDs in accordance with rules developed by the State Board of Education pursuant to G.S. 115C‑12(49).

SECTION 2.(b)  G.S. 115C‑218.75 is amended by adding a new subsection to read:

(k)      Use of Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs). – Charter schools shall develop policies for the installation, maintenance, and use of AEDs in accordance with rules developed by the State Board of Education pursuant to G.S. 115C‑12(49).

SECTION 2.(c)  G.S. 115C‑238.66 is amended by adding a new subdivision to read:

(19)    Use of Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs). – Regional schools shall develop policies for the installation, maintenance, and use of AEDs in accordance with rules developed by the State Board of Education pursuant to G.S. 115C‑12(49).

SECTION 2.(d)  G.S. 116‑11 is amended by adding a new subdivision to read:

(15)    Use of Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs). – The Board of Governors shall develop policies for all public secondary schools under the Board's jurisdiction for the installation, maintenance, and use of AEDs in accordance with rules developed by the State Board of Education pursuant to G.S. 115C‑12(49).

SECTION 3.  There is appropriated from the ARPA Temporary Savings Fund to the Department of Public Instruction the sum of nine million two hundred thousand dollars ($9,200,000) in nonrecurring funds for the 2023‑2024 fiscal year to be allocated by the Superintendent of Public Instruction on a first‑come, first‑served basis to governing bodies of public school units in an amount sufficient to purchase and install two AEDs per school and train personnel on the proper use of the AED.

SECTION 4.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2023.