CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill
No. 71

Introduced by Assembly Member Rodriguez

December 12, 2022

An act to add Section 51225.61 to the Education Code, relating to pupil instruction.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


AB 71, as introduced, Rodriguez. Pupil instruction: bleeding control.
Existing law authorizes a school district or school to provide a comprehensive program in first aid or cardiopulmonary resuscitation training, or both, to pupils and employees in accordance with specified guidelines. Existing law requires each pupil completing grade 12 to satisfy certain requirements as a condition of receiving a diploma of graduation from high school. These requirements include the completion of designated coursework in grades 9 to 12, inclusive. Existing law authorizes a governing board of a school district to adopt other coursework requirements.
This bill would require, commencing with the 2025–26 school year, the governing board of a school district or the governing body of a charter school that requires a course in health education for graduation from high school to include in that course instruction in bleeding control, as provided. The bill would require the State Department of Education to provide guidance on how to implement these provisions, including, but not limited to, who may provide instruction. The bill would provide that a local agency, entity of state or local government, or other public or private organization that sponsors, authorizes, supports, finances, or supervises, and a public employee who provides or facilitates, the instruction of pupils in bleeding control pursuant to the bill shall not be liable for any civil damages alleged to result from the acts or omissions of an individual who received such instruction, except as provided.
Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:


SECTION 1.

 Section 51225.61 is added to the Education Code, immediately following Section 51225.6, to read:

51225.61.
 (a) (1) If the governing board of a school district or the governing body of a charter school requires a course in health education for graduation from high school, the governing board of a school district or the governing body of a charter school shall include, commencing with the 2025–26 school year, instruction in the methods of bleeding control.
(2) This instruction shall include information developed by the Stop the Bleed national awareness campaign of the United States Department of Homeland Security or the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma, the American Red Cross, the Committee for Tactical Emergency Casualty Care, or any other partner of the United States Department of Defense.
(3) Schoolsites that are required to have trauma kits pursuant to Section 19310 of the Health and Safety Code shall use trauma kits to aid in the instruction of bleeding control methods.
(b) Before the commencement of the 2024–25 school year, the department shall provide guidance on how to implement this section, including, but not limited to, who may provide instruction pursuant to this section.
(c) The governing board of a school district or the governing body of a charter school may adopt policies to implement this section.
(d) (1) The governing board of a school district or the governing body of a charter school providing instruction in bleeding control pursuant to this section is encouraged to use the most cost-effective means possible to implement that requirement.
(2) This section shall not be construed to require the governing board of a school district or the governing body of a charter school to make any purchases.
(e) (1) A local agency, entity of state or local government, or other public or private organization that sponsors, authorizes, supports, finances, or supervises the instruction of pupils in bleeding control pursuant to this section shall not be liable for any civil damages alleged to result from the acts or omissions of an individual who received such instruction.
(2) A public employee who provides or facilitates the instruction of pupils in bleeding control pursuant to this section shall not be liable for any civil damages alleged to result from the acts or omissions of an individual who received such instruction.
(3) This subdivision shall not be construed to grant immunity from civil damages to any person who provides or facilitates the instruction of pupils in bleeding control in a manner that constitutes gross negligence or willful or wanton misconduct.